


one more time with feeling

by Mooifyourecows



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: DaiSugaWeek2019, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mention of Porn, a bit of alcohol, considering i haven't written all of the prompts yet i don't really know how to tag this, i guess, some magic stuff and fairies, spicy language and themes, will tag more as the week progresses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-12 17:31:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21480172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mooifyourecows/pseuds/Mooifyourecows
Summary: Another yearAnother week celebrating DaiSuga as the only ship I care about
Relationships: Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 118
Kudos: 406





	1. Trojan Horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1: Technology

Daichi swore he wasn’t stupid.

He wasn’t.

He got good grades. He was overflowing with good, solid common sense. He could do math in his head and he was- dare he say it- probably the _best _at parallel parking. Out of like… everyone.

Daichi wasn’t _stupid_.

He just couldn’t use technology to save his life.

_How humiliating_.

How could he be twenty-two years old, born into the technology age, and be so incompetent?

At this rate, he was going to get a reputation and an embarrassing nickname from the guys at the tech help desk of his university.

_Mister Accidentally Deactivated His Keyboard In the Middle of Writing an Essay._

Or…

_Sir Got Three Trojan Horse Viruses in Two Days._

Perhaps even…

_Dumbass Wiped His Hard Drive… Again._

God, he hoped it wasn't the third one.

This time though, he swore he wasn’t the reason why his laptop was on the fritz. He had barely even touched it when the screen had flashed black and then froze on a flickering error code.

Maybe his laptop was just haunted.

God, Daichi hoped his laptop was just haunted.

The office was empty when he first walked inside, and he sent a prayer to heaven that the mean tech wouldn’t be on duty that day. He never outright called Daichi an idiot, but Daichi could feel the weight of the insult in every look he gave him.

Daichi had never thought of himself as tender hearted but there was just _something _about being given silent eye contact over the top of his laptop while Mean Tech worked on it that never failed to make him want to burst into tears.

He tiptoed up to the front desk of the office, as if sneaking around would somehow help his chances that somebody else would be working that day. There was a little buzzer sitting on the top of the desk and Daichi hesitated to press it.

_Please don’t be Mean Tech._

_Please don’t be Mean Tech._

Daichi poked the buzzer and held his breath.

A few moments later, a door on the back wall opened and out walked a man with shaggy silver hair.

Daichi nearly choked up from the relief.

This tech was unfamiliar, but even the unknown was more welcome than Mean Tech and his judgmental stare.

“Hey there,” the tech said with a smile.

Daichi had to gulp before he could reply with a trembling, “_Hi_.”

Maybe he relaxed too soon. This guy may look much nicer than Mean Tech but he was also monumentally cuter and Daichi could suddenly feel his pulse in his eyes and _oh man give me a break already…_

“What can I help you with?” the guy said, folding his arms on the desk between them.

“Uh…” Daichi lifted his bag and unzipped it. “I was using my computer and it just went black…” He pulled his laptop out and opened it. He turned it to show him the screen and the error message.

The tech examined the screen quietly for a moment. “Hmm… I see.” He glanced up at him. “You busy right now?”

“No… I’m done with classes for the day.”

“Cool.” He took the laptop out of his hands and turned. “Follow me and we’ll see if we can get this fixed real quick.”

Daichi followed him to a table off to the right and sat across from him, setting his bag on the floor next to his chair.

The tech hummed cheerfully as he set the laptop down on the table and adjusted the screen. "Do you have the cord?"

Daichi produced that from his bag as well.

As the tech went about his routine, Daichi clasped his hands in his lap and took the opportunity to examine him.

He really was awfully cute. All soft edges and pale colors. His cheeks were round and his lips moved as he worked, pursing or pouting or popping. He reached up to brush a lock of grey hair behind his ear, revealing a dark beauty mark under his left eye and Daichi’s heart fluttered a little at the sight.

_Pretty…_

He lowered his gaze to the front of his peach colored hoodie where a nametag was clipped.

_Suga._

_Pretty Suga._

“Okay, let’s see what the problem is…” Suga said.

Daichi watched him quietly over the top of the laptop as he tapped his fingers over the keyboard expertly.

“Were you doing anything specific when it crapped out on you?” Suga asked.

“Uhm… no. Not really. I had just barely turned it on and it just went black.”

“Okey dokey.”

Suga paused, drumming his fingers on the table momentarily. He glanced up at Daichi and lifted an eyebrow.

“What’s your name by the way?”

“Daichi.”

“Nice to meet you Daichi. I’m Suga.”

Daichi nodded, not knowing how else to respond. Gosh he was so pretty, it was throwing him completely off balance.

Daichi cleared his throat, suddenly extremely desperate to explain himself.

“I’m sorry,” he said, drawing Suga’s eyes from the screen once more. “I’m… _really_ bad with technology…”

Suga smiled and it made Daichi’s heart do somersaults in his chest.

“Lucky for you, I like when people are bad with technology.”

Daichi cocked an eyebrow, “You do?”

“Yeah. I mean… I’d be out of a job if everyone was good with it, wouldn’t I?” His eyes twinkled. “And besides…” he shrugged, placing his hands on the keyboard and typing away again. “I’m pretty sure _most _people are bad with technology. Some of them are lucky and never run into any problems, but I think on average, everyone with any sort of tech winds up having to get it fixed at some point.”

“You say that, but you don’t know my poor reputation. Everything I touch winds up busted in some way.” Daichi leaned his elbows on the table and pointed at the laptop. “I’ve taken this baby in at _least _six times this past year.”

Suga grinned. “Oh, you’re my favorite type of client then.”

Daichi’s cheeks warmed. “Oh?”

“Hmhm. Repeat offenders are the best. I get to peek in on their lives every time their tech needs a quick fix.”

“Huh…” Daichi smiled crookedly. “How much can you find out about someone just based on something like that?”

“Oh, plenty,” he said. “I’m very nosy.”

Daichi cocked an eyebrow and Suga leapt to correct himself.

“I don’t snoop!” He waved his hands in front of himself. “I don’t like… go through their files or anything. But… sometimes things are just… open. And I accidentally see some…” he paused, staring at the screen.

Daichi waited for him to continue but he remained silent. Thirty seconds passed and his eyes flicked back up into Daichi’s.

“Uh… haha, sorry. Uhm… okay so…” He cleared his throat into his fist. “Sorry. I may have maybe… accidentally clicked _restore _on your browser tabs uhm…”

At first, Daichi didn’t understand what he meant.

And then he remembered what he had been doing on his laptop last night.

_Oh no._

All the blood drained from his face, leaving him cold.

“Ohhhhh no,” he whispered. “Oh my god.”

Suga’s lips pinched and his cheeks flushed pink. His eyes crinkled and he was clearly trying to hold his laughter at bay and only barely succeeding. He cocked his head to the side, eyes glued to the laptop screen as he let out a soft, “_Oooh_.”

Daichi wanted to die.

“Hmm… you’ve got good taste,” he said, and there was a hint of a giggle in his voice.

“Ohhhh my god. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” Daichi continued to repeat the words over and over again as he leaned over the table and hid his head in his arms. “Ohmygodohmygod…”

“Is this your… _go-to_ genre?”

“Please have mercy,” Daichi begged.

“So adventurous—”

“_Please stop._”

“Oh that looks kinda fun, actually.”

“_Oh my god_.” Daichi gently pounded his forehead on the table.

Suga giggled and then Daichi heard the sound of his fingers on the keyboard again.

“Okay, I’ll stop,” he promised. “But you know… if you want some recommendations on some sites that _won’t _murder your laptop…”

“No thank you,” he muttered. “I’m never doing it again.”

“Well the offer stands.”

Daichi groaned.

Suga let out a breathy laugh. “I’m sorry. But that just made my day.”

Daichi slowly lifted his head, but couldn’t look him in the eye. He sheepishly rubbed his burning face and then tugged on his hair, staring at the wall.

“I’m glad someone is benefiting from the most humiliating moment in my life,” he grumbled.

“Me too!”

Daichi sighed.

Suga giggled again. “Alright, I’m pretty sure you have a Trojan. Just give me some time and I’ll get rid of it for you. You should definitely invest in some protection though.”

Daichi leaned heavily on his elbows, eyes flickering back into Suga’s face. He caught him watching him for a split second before he lowered his gaze to the screen, color filling his cheeks.

Daichi gulped.

_Pretty…_

Suga worked in silence and Daichi spent the time memorizing his face, going warm and soft every time his lips made a cute, distracted _pop. _

Eventually, Suga released a low hum and closed the laptop. “Alright. You’re good.”

Daichi straightened and cleared his throat. “Thanks…”

“Here.” Suga grabbed a notepad that rested on the table a short distance away. He pulled a pen from the pocket of his hoodie and clicked it. “I’m gonna give you some recommendations for some antivirus programs.” He scribbled on the page and then tore it out of the notepad. “Here you go.” He offered it to him and Daichi tentatively took it with mumbled thanks.

Suga smiled and folded his hands under his chin. “Any more problems I can help you with?”

Daichi hesitated, stomach churning as he slowly shoved the note into his pocket.

“Uh… actually I do have another problem…”

Suga’s lips curved into a smirk. “You watch porn on your phone too? Okay, hand it over and I’ll—”

“No,” Daichi denied, face hot. “No that’s not it. Uhm… my problem is that… I really want to ask you when you get off work and see if you want to go out with me…”

Suga straightened slightly, expression growing just the tiniest bit brighter, or so Daichi wanted to believe.

“But I’m also still so humiliated that I kind of just want to go back home, pack up, and take the earliest flight out of the country and never come back,” Daichi finished.

“Well…” Suga’s eyes went soft. “I don’t want to sway your decision at all... but I get off at five. And I am very, _very_ hungry.”

Daichi’s heart danced and he squeezed his hands into fists in his lap.

“Oh… well, now I feel like there’s no way I can just leave. You know, without first taking you to dinner. Seems… seems like it would be pretty rude, wouldn’t it?”

“So rude. I might cry.” Suga nodded somberly.

Daichi grinned, chest filling with giddy heat. “Then… Will you go to dinner with me? My treat of course. If possible, I’d like a redo on your first impression of me.”

Suga’s eyes glinted and he smirked. “If you think there’s a chance in hell that I’m gonna forget that I know what kind of porn you like to watch, you’re _sadly_ mistaken.”

“Please have mercy on me.”

Suga giggled and pushed his laptop towards him. “Come pick me up out front at five fifteen. I’ll give you exactly one chance to give me a better first impression than this one.” His expression turned coy and he gazed at him under long, curved eyelashes. “Good luck topping it.”

Daichi gulped hard and shoved his laptop into his bag.

“I… I'll do my best.” He pushed to his feet and took a step backwards. “See you later.”

Suga waved, chin resting in the palm of his other hand.

Daichi turned and strode across the office and through the door to the sidewalk. His heart galloped in his chest and he pressed a hand over it, letting out a slow, quivering breath. A smile upturned the corners of his lips and he chuckled.

And for the first time in his life, he was thankful to be technologically incompetent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who procrastinated (again) and is once again writing each chapter the day before it needs to be posted??????  
That's right.  
This guy.
> 
> Come yell at me on [Tumblr.](https://mooifyourecows.tumblr.com/)


	2. A Kiss and a Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: Wish

“What would you do if you found one, Daichi?”

Daichi took a drink from his water bottle and then passed it over to Kiyoko as she held out her hand to him. He wiped moisture from his lips with the back of his hand and turned towards Tanaka where he stood a short distance away, adjusting the straps of his backpack.

“Found what?”

Asahi chuckled. “Told you he wasn’t listening.”

“C’mon, pay attention!” he demanded. “I just spent the last five minutes talkin’ about it!”

“About what?” Daichi asked, aware of and fully enjoying how his inattention made such a perplexed and offended expression twist Tanaka’s features into a mask of outrage.

Kiyoko passed the water back and he twisted the lid on and slipped it into the side pocket of his backpack. As they headed off once more, Tanaka moved to Daichi’s side and gave him a light push.

“You know! That old local legend about this place!”

Daichi hummed, letting his eyes roam over the peaceful woods surrounding them. The only sounds so far away from the mild hustle of their small town other than their conversation was the crunching of pine needles and twigs beneath their boots and the twittering and chattering of birds and squirrels.

“Legend,” Daichi repeated. “About all those people disappearing in the middle of the night?”

“No, no, not that one.” Tanaka sighed. “You really weren’t listening at all, were you?” He clicked his tongue. “I’m talkin’ about the fairies! The fairies, man!”

“Don’t think I’ve heard that one.” Daichi slapped a mosquito as it landed on his exposed forearm.

“Ukai Senior used to tell us about it,” Kiyoko said. “At summer camp.”

Daichi pursed his lips.

Asahi chuckled. “He doesn’t remember at all.”

“C’mon Daichi!” Tanaka complained. “Even my little cousin knows this! They say that a kiss from a fairy grants you a wish.”

“Yeah,” Kiyoko mumbled. “My wish to kiss a fairy.”

“Ohhh…” Daichi scratched his cheek. “Was it fairies? I thought it was elves or something.”

“It was fairies,” Tanaka said. “This place is supposed to be _full _of fairies. According to the legend.”

“Nah, I’m pretty sure it was elves.”

“This forest is _literally _named the _Yosei Woods_,” Tanaka punched his shoulder. “Quit fuckin’ around.”

Daichi grinned and punched him back.

“If I found a fairy, I wouldn’t do anything,” Asahi said. He stared straight ahead, wary lines etched into his face, aging him a full decade. “In my experience, those kinds of things come with a _price_.”

“What do you mean, _in your experience?_” Kiyoko said. “How many fairies have you come across in your life?”

“Not fairies,” Asahi said. “But you guys know my apartment building is haunted.”

“Oh my god.” Daichi rolled his eyes. “And the poltergeists are offering you wishes in exchange for kisses?”

“No, of course not. I _have _had to kindly explain to three dead, possible witches that I’m gay and won’t have any first born children to trade for unbelievable riches though.”

“Man, I wish I had your life,” Daichi said. “The only things haunting my apartment are ants.”

“Okay, okay,” Tanaka said. “But back to the question at hand, if you found a fairy and managed to get a kiss from it, what would you wish?”

“That I didn’t have ants.”

“Boring!”

“I would wish for Nishinoya to know that we actually started dating two months before he thinks we did so I can stop living with this secret,” Asahi said dully.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t wish for anything,” Daichi challenged.

“Okay, hypothetically though…”

“Hypothetically what? This entire conversation has been hypothetical from the start. So would you, or would you _not_ make a wish if you scored a steamy, wet, makeout sesh with a fairy?”

“Please move on.”

Tanaka laughed and slung an arm around Asahi's shoulders.

“I would wish for larger breasts.”

All three men drew to a halt and turned to Kiyoko, who continued on for another few meters before pausing and turning back to them.

“Wait, seriously?” Tanaka asked, cheeks red.

“Hm.” She looked off through the trees. “The other day I bought a dress that is two sizes too large for me in the chest area and I’d like to wear it to my brother’s wedding in three weeks.”

“Stuff your bra?” Daichi suggested.

“It’s backless.”

“I’ve got some duct tape you can borrow," he offered.

“You’re all boring!” Tanaka removed his arm from around Asahi’s shoulders. “Isn’t there anything _big_ you want?”

“Boobs—”

“Not that kind of big.” Tanaka frowned. “Not even money or a nice house or for all your parents’ debt to be gone?”

“My parents are very financially responsible,” Daichi said.

“Mine too,” Kiyoko said.

“Yeah, same.” Asahi scratched his cheek.

Tanaka groaned. “None of you have an imagination.”

They headed off through the woods once more.

“Okay, Wise Guy,” Daichi said. “What would _you _wish for?”

“The better question is what _wouldn’t _I wish for?” Tanaka said. “Oh man. I’d wish for the ability to fly, I’d wish for infinite money, I’d wish to be able to speak any language, I’d wish for—”

“Hair?” Kiyoko interrupted.

“You know I shave my head willingly!”

“Then grow hair. Right now.”

“That’s not how it works!”

“That’s actually _exactly _how it works,” Daichi said.

“Shuddup!”

Daichi and Kiyoko continued to tease him until Asahi called out,

“We’re here!”

They fell silent as they joined him at the side of the gently flowing river that crossed their path.

“Finally!” Tanaka shrugged his backpack off and set it down on a large rock just off to the side of the riverbed. The others did the same and began unclipping their fishing gear and tackle.

“Uwah, Daichi you were right,” Asahi said, gazing around the peaceful fishing spot. “This place is much nicer than the last one.”

“Think I’d lie to you?” Daichi smiled and threaded his fishing line along the pole.

“I just thought you were making an excuse for why you didn’t catch anything last time,” Asahi admitted, crouching down next to his tackle box and cracking it open.

“I was trying new bait,” Daichi grumbled.

Once they had everything set up, they spread out along the bank and cast their lines, allowing quiet to spread over them as they enjoyed the tranquil summer heat, sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees around them.

Ten minutes passed before Daichi got his first catch. While he was reeling it in, a crow lighted on a branch of the tree directly across the river and watched.

“What’d ya get?” Tanaka called as Daichi pulled the fish from the water and it flapped in the air.

“Rainbow trout,” Daichi replied.

Tanaka mumbled and turned back to his line, chewing on a toothpick. “Small…”

“Says the guy who hasn’t caught shit yet.”

“We just got here!”

“And I’m already ahead.”

Daichi gently removed the hook from the fish’s mouth and tossed it back into the water. Kiyoko walked up to him, bottles of beer in her arms. She passed one to him and he took it with a thank you.

“Should we keep track? The one with the most catches gets paid?” she asked as she moved to Asahi and handed him a beer next.

“How much?” Tanaka asked warily, taking a beer when she reached him.

“Double the catch count from each?”

“Hell yeah,” Daichi said, casting his line once more and resting the pole in his lap. He tucked the bottle cap in the crook of his elbow and twisted it off with a flick of his wrist. He collected the cap and tucked it into his bag before taking a drink.

“I’m game,” Asahi said.

“Alright!” Tanaka used the bottle opener on his backpack to open his beer. “Let’s do it! Bring it on!”

“Says the guy who hasn’t caught shit,” Daichi said.

“_We just got here!_”

Daichi grinned and set his beer on the ground next to him. His eyes drifted up to the trees across the river. The crow was still there, turning its head left and right to observe them with both of its eyes. A minute passed and it took flight, just to land on a rock jutting out from the middle of the river, near Daichi’s red and white bobber.

The crow hopped along the rock, staring at the bobber as it inched slowly over the surface of the water.

Daichi momentarily wondered if there’d be a fight against the bird in his future, but then Kiyoko was at his side again, this time with a bag of beef jerky. She had apparently taken it upon herself to administer snacks on this trip, not even paying attention to her fishing pole, which was lying in the rocky sand a meter away from where it started, dragged by the current tugging at her line.

“You’re going to lose your pole,” Daichi said, taking the bag from her.

“I’m keeping an eye on it,” she said and moved to Asahi's side.

Daichi chuckled and pried open the bag of jerky.

The crow was still curiously watching the bobber, which had drifted closer to its rock. It hopped to the edge and leaned over, beak flashing out to peck at it, nibbling on the line.

“How many points do I get if I reel in a crow?” Daichi asked.

Tanaka laughed. “Watch it, he’s gonna steal all your fish.”

“One of the ghosts that haunt my apartment has a pet crow,” Asahi said, eyes glazed over as he stared across the river. “_Malachi_.”

“Is it also a ghost?” Kiyoko walked back to her place, nudging her pole with the toe of her boots.

“I can’t tell. I try not to make eye contact. Not after _last _time...”

Daichi tuned out their conversation and watched the crow, absently chewing on a piece of jerky. He set the bag in his lap and started reeling his line in, lips curling into a smile when the crow let out a surprised _c__aw!_ and gave chase as the bobber tugged towards the shore. It flapped its large, black wings and flew over the water, tail twitching left and right with its clumsy, distracted flight.

When the bobber popped out of the water and zipped up to the tip of Daichi’s fishing pole, the crow cawed again, seeming to suddenly remember Daichi was there. It hurriedly pulled back and landed on the loose rocks just at the edge of the water, hopping when its feet touched moisture.

“Uh oh, he’s coming for you now!” Tanaka said.

Daichi carefully placed his rod on the ground and opened his bag of jerky. He plucked out a small piece and slowly offered it to the bird, leaning over his knees to reach closer.

The crow cawed at him, hopping over the rocks back and forth with its wings flapping before it finally calmed. It cocked its head side to side, eyeing the jerky pinched between Daichi’s fingers.

Daichi remained still, offering the meat and waiting patiently for it to make a decision on whether or not it wanted to trust him. Finally, it apparently deemed the promise of a meal worth the risk and hopped forward. It reached towards him, snapping its beak for the meat, but then nervously moved back. It tried another two times before eventually getting close enough to nab the treat out of Daichi’s grasp.

Its wings spread and it fled back to the rock in the middle of the river.

Asahi laughed softly. “That one is much sweeter than Malachi.”

“I want to meet Malachi,” Kiyoko said.

“No… I don’t think you do.”

Daichi smiled and watched the crow eat the jerky, wings out on either side of its body. When it finished, it turned back to him, eyeing him suspiciously. After a few seconds, it took flight and lighted on the ground in front of him again, at a safe distance.

“I think you’ve got a new friend,” Tanaka said. “He’s never going to leave you alone now.”

Daichi offered the crow a new piece of jerky, murmuring, “That’s alright.”

The crow took the jerky, but instead of flying back to its rock in the middle of the river, it bounced over to the water’s edge to eat and then immediately hopped back, cawing insistently.

Daichi chuckled. “Okay, calm down. There’s more.”

He fed it another, and it didn’t even leave to eat it this time. After the next piece, it hopped up onto Daichi’s knee and he leaned back in surprise.

“Jesus,” Tanaka muttered. “What are you, a Disney princess?”

Daichi hummed and held out another piece of jerky. The crow took it and gulped it down eagerly.

“Maybe _that’s_ why I’ve got ants,” he mumbled.

The crow nibbled on the corner of the bag but Daichi sealed it, earning an indignant caw.

“No,” he said. “No more for now.”

The bird stared at him quietly for long seconds and Daichi stared back. Finally, it reached out and pinched the sleeve of his shirt in its beak and gave a little tug.

“Maybe later,” Daichi said. “But not right now. You’re going to get sick.”

It released him, gave him one last long look, and took flight. It soared over the river and disappeared into the trees.

“Damn, as soon as the gravy train was closed, that mother fucker _bounced_,” Tanaka said and took a drink from his beer. “That’s cold.”

Daichi stared after the bird, slightly disappointed that their little encounter was over already. Motion to his right drew his attention and he glanced over in time to see Kiyoko’s fishing rod finally slip into the river and begin to float away.

“Kiyoko, you’re losing your pole,” he called.

She walked past him, pace slightly hurried. “I’ve got it.”

Several hours passed and the group was finally packing up for the day, slightly drunk and all collectively shitting on Asahi for catching the least amount of fish, when the crow made a reappearance.

Daichi had just pulled his backpack on, laughing over something Kiyoko had said, which earned her a whine from Asahi, when suddenly a flash of black exploded in his peripherals and he let out a cry of surprise.

He stumbled to the side, nearly dropping the half empty bottle of beer clutched in his right hand. He threw his free arm up to protect his face and felt two sharp grips on his forearm. He blinked in shock and stared up at the crow, who perched on his arm and looked down at him curiously, something clasped in its beak.

“Jesus fuck,” Daichi breathed. “You scared the shit outta me!”

“Aaayy, he’s back!” Tanaka cheered. “I knew it! You are a Disney princess!”

“What’s in his beak?” Kiyoko asked, moving closer to Daichi's side.

The crow bucked its head towards him.

Daichi hummed and passed his beer to Kiyoko to free up his hand. He held it out towards the bird and it promptly dropped the object into his palm. He caught it and turned it over, blinking slowly.

It was a sparkling piece of rough rose quartz, its shape vaguely resembling a heart.

Maybe it was the alcohol making him soft and emotional, but a strong flush of warm fondness spread through Daichi’s chest at the sight of the gift.

“What is it?” Asahi asked.

Daichi cleared his throat and showed the rock to the others.

“Rose quartz.”

Asahi instantly cooed. “He’s thanking you for the food! You really did make a friend!”

Daichi looked up at the crow and it cawed at him, feathers ruffling slightly.

He smiled and said in a soft voice, “Thank you.”

It was silent for a few moments and then hopped up the length of his arm, all the way to his shoulder, where Daichi leaned his head slightly away from smooth feathers that tickled his cheek.

“Well, you’ve been adopted,” Tanaka said with a belch. “Might as well name him.”

“How do we know it’s a _him_?” Asahi asked. “Maybe it’s a lady crow and she's fallen in love with Daichi.”

"You don't gotta be a lady to fall in love with Daichi."

"That's true I suppose."

“Go on, Sawamura,” Kiyoko said. “Check what it is.”

Daichi snorted and stuffed the quartz in his pocket, pulling out an opened bag of trail mix. He offered a raisin to the crow and it eagerly plucked it away.

“I’m not going to _check_. It’s a bird. I’m sure it doesn’t mind being misgendered. We’ll call it a him. And… as for a name…” He lifted a peanut and the bird let out a soft caw and took it from him, feet prancing happily along his shoulder, fluffed feathers brushing the side of his face and neck. “I’m gonna call him Suga.”

The crow stilled and looked at him for long seconds.

“Suga?” Tanaka repeated. “Hmmm… I would have gone for something more like… _Terminator McBastardNuts the Eighth_.”

“Thank God he chose Daichi to get attached to,” Asahi muttered.

“I would have named him _God is a Woman, Death to All Men,_” Kiyoko said.

“Thank _God _he chose Daichi.”

“What would _you _have named him?” Tanaka asked, giving Asahi’s shoulder a push.

He hesitated, chewing on the question for a few seconds. Finally he said with a small smile, “Tweetie.”

“You’re right,” Kiyoko passed him and headed through the trees towards home. “Thank God he chose Daichi.”

Daichi and Tanaka followed her while Asahi grumbled, “What’s wrong with _Tweetie?_”

They headed home, Daichi continuing to feed Suga until all the trail mix was gone. He expected him to fly away once he figured out that there would be no more food, but instead, he stayed, balanced on his shoulder and occasionally hopping along the top of his backpack.

It wasn’t until they reached the edge of the forest, where the ground smoothed into a dirt road that led to town, that Suga finally flew up from Daichi’s shoulder and lighted on a branch of a tree overhead.

“Aw, he’s not gonna come all the way?” Tanaka said.

Daichi hummed and stared up at Suga, who cawed and flapped his wings at him before stilling. “Nah,” he said softly. “He probably wouldn’t be happy outside of the woods anyway. This is his home.”

Asahi, who had been pressured into drinking their final three beers, slumped against Kiyoko’s shoulder and waved drunkenly at the crow.

“Bye-bye Suga,” he called, too loud. “We love you! Don’t forget us!”

Tanaka laughed and stumbled up to him, immediately planting a hand down on the top of his head and rubbing the long brown hair from its bun. “You’re so cute when you’re drunk!”

Asahi sniffled and slouched into Tanaka’s waiting arms. “I’m… gonna… miss him… so much…”

“You could always move to the woods to live with him,” Kiyoko suggested. “It’s probably less haunted than your apartment.”

She and the others headed up the road, Asahi wailing at their lack of sympathy and his disappointment at how Malachi wasn’t nearly as nice as Suga.

Daichi looked up at Suga and smiled.

“Well,” he said. “I’ve gotta go home. Thank you for the gift. I’ll treasure it forever.”

Suga’s feathers fluffed.

Daichi hesitated, chest filling with a swell of sadness.

“Bye Suga. Maybe we’ll see each other again.”

Suga merely stared back at him, cocking his head to the side.

Daichi let his hand lower to his side and then turned and followed the others, who were still laughing at Asahi up ahead. It wasn’t until he had gotten a few meters away that Suga started cawing insistently at him. When he looked over his shoulder, his wings were outstretched, flapping wildly as he called after him.

Daichi gulped and sped up.

* * *

“What if it took you out to dinner first?”

“It could give me a _ring_. Still wouldn’t have sex with a zombie,” Asahi said, shrugging his bag higher up on his shoulders.

Tanaka clicked his tongue and turned to Nishinoya. “What about you, Noya? Would you fuck a zombie?”

“Is it hot?” Nishinoya kicked a stone down the dirt road. “And who would top?”

“I mean… its dick might fall off so I guess—”

“Can we please talk about something else?” Asahi raised his voice.

Tanaka and Nishinoya laughed, the latter linking his arm in Asahi’s and tugging him down to kiss his cheek.

“Don’t worry Babe, I wouldn’t do it! You’re the only one for me!”

Asahi blushed and looked away.

Daichi only partially paid attention to the conversation, too eagerly looking ahead at the woods they approached. He’d never admit it to the others, but for the past week, he had been anticipating their next trip to the river, hoping that he’d somehow be able to meet with the crow again.

It was such a childish thought. The kind of thing young kids imagined, being chosen by a wild animal like- as Tanaka had so eloquently put it- a fucking Disney princess.

But even though he knew it was childish, he couldn’t help but hope.

“Hold on, we haven’t heard from Daichi on this subject yet,” Tanaka said. “So, Daichi, would you fuck a—”

Raucous cawing cut him short and Daichi lit up as he spotted him.

The crow, who had been perched on the branch of a tree at the edge of the woods ahead suddenly took to the sky, soaring in their direction. Daichi grinned wide and held an arm up towards him.

Suga landed, claws gripping his hand tight. He cawed, wings outstretched, and Nishinoya let out a loud,

“Whoa! You weren’t kiddin’!”

Suga hopped up the length of Daichi’s arm, settling on his shoulder and leaning against his face, beak gently nibbling on his short hair.

“Was he… waiting for you?” Asahi asked, mouth hanging open in awe.

“I can’t believe he actually remembers you,” Tanaka said. “I mean, I knew crows were smart but _damn_.”

Daichi’s chest was warm as Suga continued to run his beak through his hair, occasionally dipping down to nibble at his cheek and nose.

“Tanaka, pass me a bag of jerky,” he said.

Nishinoya moved closer, peering up at the crow with glittering eyes. “So cool, Daichi you’re like a—”

“Disney princess, yeah I know,” Daichi interrupted, taking the bag that Tanaka passed him. He opened it and fed pieces to Suga as they all continued into the woods in the direction of the river.

Suga remained perched on his shoulder or bag the whole way to their fishing spot, not even moving when Daichi got his pole ready and cast his line. He seemed perfectly content just listening to their banter as they teased Tanaka or heard more about Asahi’s haunted apartment.

Eventually Suga moved from Daichi’s shoulder to his lap, nestling down in the crevice of his thighs, head resting between his knees.

Daichi smiled and tenderly stroked over his back, marveling at how soft and sleek his feathers were.

It was really silly that he had already become so attached to this creature. He felt like a little kid again, finally getting his first pet after years of waiting. He was almost giddy. It felt special, to be chosen and trusted by something that didn’t usually trust humans. Daichi wished he could spend every day with him, taking care of him and enjoying soft moments like this, petting over the wing that stretched out over his left thigh.

And when it became late again and the group packed up to return home, Daichi felt that same swell of sadness as the last time that soon their time together would be over yet again.

Halfway home, Suga suddenly took flight from Daichi’s shoulder and disappeared through the trees.

“Ah, he left,” Nishinoya said. “Didn’t even say goodbye!”

Tanaka slapped Daichi’s back. “Cheer up, Daichi! You’ll probably see him next time!”

Daichi hummed, staring off in the direction in which Suga had flown. He walked in silence the rest of the way through the woods, not partaking in the others’ conversation. As they reached the dirt road, Daichi let out a sigh and shrugged his bag higher on his shoulders.

Tanaka was right. He would see him next time.

He shouldn’t feel this disappointed over something so inconsequential.

It was just a silly bird—

“_Caw, caw, caw, caw!_”

Daichi’s breath caught in his throat and he quickly whirled back towards the forest. Sitting on a branch on the tree nearest them was Suga. As soon as he saw him, Daichi’s heart swelled with happiness so strong it stung his eyes. Suga took to the air and Daichi lifted his arm.

Suga landed on his wrist and tucked his wings close to his body. A gleam of light between his beak caught Daichi's attention and he held up his other hand to catch the rock that he dropped into it. This time it was a broken shard of a geode, glittering white crystals inside a dull, grey outer shell.

A hopeless smile spread his lips wide and he chuckled, running a thumb over the ragged crystals. He looked up at Suga, who watched him quietly, shifting on his arm.

“Thank you,” he said gently. “I love it.”

Suga hopped up to his shoulder and ran his beak through his hair momentarily before nibbling against his cheek. Once he was satisfied, he flew back to the tree, sat on his branch, and watched as Daichi waved and followed the others up the road. He hiked his bag higher up on his shoulders and turned the rock over in his fingers, already excited for next weekend.

* * *

Over the next several weeks, Suga was always there waiting when they showed up for their weekly fishing trip. He completely integrated into the group, starting up the bad habit of stealing food from anybody not paying close enough attention. He spent most of his time cuddling with Daichi or teasing Tanaka, nabbing his bait or dragging his fishing line into low hanging branches over the river.

On occasion, he even sat patiently in Kiyoko’s lap while she tied small, handmade handkerchiefs around his neck and took pictures with her phone, mumbling under her breath about becoming Instagram famous.

And at some point during each visit, he presented Daichi with a gift.

He was gathering up a nice collection, mostly shiny rocks but also a few other random baubles from stray buttons to dangly earrings. No matter what he brought for him, Daichi thanked him and promised to treasure it forever with all the rest.

Though he wondered where he was going to keep them all once he ran out of room on his fireplace mantel.

Two months passed when a hitch in Daichi’s usual schedule arose.

First, Asahi got sick.

Then Nishinoya offered to take care of him.

Shortly after, Kiyoko got called in to work.

And finally, Tanaka’s sister made a surprise visit to town.

Which meant there would be no fishing trip that weekend.

The sudden deterioration of their steady routine brought him nothing but stress as he paced the length of his apartment that Saturday morning.

Before, he wouldn’t even bat an eye over something like this. He would use the new free time to lounge around in his living room, getting caught up on whatever TV shows he had fallen behind in, or even take a trip to the next town over to visit friends.

_Not _going fishing for one weekend was really nothing to stress over.

And yet…

This was the first weekend since meeting Suga that he wouldn’t be showing up. Would he wait there for him? He had begun to bring his gifts first thing in the morning, waiting with them in his beak to deliver upon seeing Daichi.

How long would he sit there, waiting for Daichi to arrive so he could give him that happy greeting, drop a glittering rock in his palm, and nuzzle his hair with so much fondness it made Daichi’s chest hurt?

Would he wait all day?

All night?

Would he hate him come morning when he still hadn't shown up?

It didn’t take him long to make his decision.

He just didn’t have the strength to disappoint the bird that had wedged itself so deeply into his heart.

It took less than an hour to gather up all of his things, packing his bag tight with supplies. In addition to his usual gear, he also included a sleeping bag and cooking equipment. Instead of walking through town and down the long dirt road to the forest, he tossed his things into his Bronco and drove.

A feeling of intense relief spread over him as he left town. The stress of disappointing Suga completely dissipated and he found himself excited once more.

His life really was some sort of joke.

Every day it was the same. Just going through the motions until he could see his crow friend again.

There had to be some God up there laughing at him.

How silly was he to be so excited to see a damn bird?

How ridiculous was it that he felt a stronger connection to a wild animal than to most humans?

He drove to the usual spot that the group converged with the woods, pulled off of the road, and climbed out. As he gathered up his things from the back, he heard the familiar caw and smiled. He pulled his bag onto his shoulders, slammed the doors, and locked the vehicle before stuffing his keys into the side pocket of his bag and turning towards the woods.

Suga flew up and Daichi gave him his arm to land on.

“Hey Suga, sorry I’m late,” he said.

He held his hand out and caught the shining lump of pyrite Suga gifted him that day.

“Thank you. This one will look great next to the green button.”

Suga cawed and happily bounced up to his shoulder, as per usual. Daichi stored the pyrite in his pocket, warmly accepting the following affection of beak running through his hair and rubbing against his cheek.

“It’s just me today,” Daichi said, heading in to the forest. “Everyone else had stuff come up and couldn’t make it. Hope you don’t mind.”

Suga made a soft sound and shifted closer to him, feathers tickling the side of his neck.

“Oh, and I decided to camp out this time,” Daichi went on, traveling through the trees. “So I’ll make you some tasty food tonight.”

Suga dipped his head close, nipping gently against his cheekbone.

Daichi smiled. He talked the entire way through the forest, filling Suga in on everything that happened during the week.

Even though he was just a bird and couldn’t possibly understand what he was saying to him, Daichi found it comforting, the curious way he listened, reacting to his words with soft sounds or ruffled feathers or nuzzles against his face.

Even though it was definitely impossible that he had any idea what he was saying… it felt like he did.

Once he reached the river, he found a flat area to set up a simple campsite and then sat on a log at the riverbank and prepared his line.

Suga started at his usual spot on Daichi’s shoulder, and then after he cast his line and settled back to wait, he hopped down to his lap.

“But anyway,” Daichi said, half an hour into fishing and finishing up a rant about one of his pesky coworkers who repeatedly asked him out and couldn’t take _no _for an answer. “He might’ve finally taken the hint this time, so hopefully I don’t have to file a complaint.” He rolled his eyes. “It’s kind of hard to get any work done when there’s an annoying guy flirting with me all day.”

Suga made an indignant sound in his lap and Daichi glanced down at him. He had maneuvered around until he was lying between Daichi’s thighs on his back, wings spread, and legs occasionally kicking playfully at him. He cocked his head, eyeing him with a single eye, and made another sound, right leg reaching up and tugging on the sleeve of his shirt.

Daichi chuckled.

“You’re the weirdest bird I’ve ever seen in my life.” He reached down and scratched his belly, earning a completely blissed out expression as he leaned his head back, eyes going half lidded. “Then again… I’m the weirdo talking to you as if you can actually understand me.”

He set his pole down on the ground next to him and grabbed a bag of jerky. Suga noticed and cawed happily, rolling onto his stomach and then hopping up to perch on Daichi’s right thigh.

“No,” Daichi said. “No more jerky for you.”

Suga was silent for a moment before letting out a loud caw, making a snap at the bag. Daichi held it out of his grip.

“No. Look, Suga, I want us to be friends for a long time, alright? Which means we need to start thinking about your _health_. I looked up a typical crow diet and surprisingly enough, beef jerky wasn’t on the list.”

Suga cawed petulantly.

“Sorry, that’s just how it goes. No more beef jerky. Also no more trail mix because that’s too salty.”

Suga’s wings flapped and he hopped across his thighs, thoroughly miffed.

Daichi was about to scold him some more but paused. Because… Suga seemed awfully… angry.

That was ridiculous though. There was no way.

Because if Suga was angry, then that would imply that he… understood what Daichi was telling him.

And that was impossible.

… right?

Daichi rubbed his eyes and lowered his hand. Suga was still glaring up at him, making irritated, chattering noises.

“I’m still going to feed you,” Daichi said carefully.

Suga hesitated, giving him a curious look, head cocking to the side, feathers ruffling slightly.

“… just not jerky.”

Suga cawed and snapped for the bag again, annoyed chittering growing once more.

_No way._

There was no way in hell that Suga understood him.

He was just… imagining things.

Yeah…

Being out in the woods alone, with nothing but a friendly crow for company… it made the imagination run wild. And besides, crows were incredibly intelligent animals. He probably picked up on a few words like “no” and “jerky” and just figured out the gist of what Daichi was saying.

That’s all there was to it.

Completely normal.

…

Probably.

* * *

“See? Fish is just as good as jerky, isn’t it?”

Suga didn’t acknowledge his question, preening his wings quietly from his perch on Daichi’s backpack next to the crackling fire.

Daichi chuckled and pulled his hoodie on over his head. “Silent treatment now, huh?”

Silence.

“So cruel,” he pouted, pretending to be hurt as he leaned back against a stump. “I can’t believe you’re so mad at me that you’d ignore me. I’m going to cry myself to sleep.”

Suga turned to him and let out a soft sound. He flew the short distance between them and settled on his shoulder, nibbling at his cheek. Daichi chuckled, warmth filling his chest.

“So, guilt trips work on you too, huh?”

Suga pinched a lock of hair and gave it a tug.

“Okay, okay, sorry for guilt-tripping you. But you were the one ignoring me just because I made you delicious fish instead of giving you crappy, processed meat. You should be thanking me, not punishing me.”

Suga nibbled on the shell of his ear and leaned against him, warm body cuddled up against his neck.

Daichi smiled and stared at the softly crackling fire. The longer he stared, the heavier his eyelids became. The fleeting thought that he should put it out before falling asleep flitted through his mind but his body wouldn’t respond, too exhausted from the full day. Soon, his eyes were closing, his muscles relaxing back against the tree stump. His head dipped forward and within seconds, he was asleep.

* * *

Daichi wasn’t sure what woke him up.

Maybe it was the uncomfortable sitting position in which he had dozed off. Maybe it was the cool breeze that chilled his exposed neck. Maybe it was the popping of a twig in the dying campfire.

It was probably the weight against his right thigh though.

_It’s just Suga._

Which might have been a good assumption, if there wasn’t a similar weight on his left thigh too.

And if the weight wasn’t much heavier than the bird.

That wasn’t Suga.

No, rather than the tiny pinpricks of the bird’s claws or light press of his body on a small portion of his lap, the touch on each of his thighs was heavy and curved and felt more like…

_Hands?_

As his groggy, sleepy mind tried to process this thought, he had the sudden feeling of something drawing near to his face, the air shifting and a shadow darkening his eyelids.

Daichi forced his eyes open, heart in his throat, and met the gaze of something, _someone _directly in front of him.

Light brown eyes widened in surprise in a pale, heart shaped face. It jerked back, grey hair fluttering at the sudden movement.

“Who—” Daichi choked, straightening in fear as the stranger’s hands left his thighs and he skittered back next to the dying fire. Before Daichi could get the rest of his question out, an eruption of feathers and smoke shrouded the man’s body and suddenly the winged form of a crow flapped its wings and shot for the branches overhead.

Daichi’s mouth went dry as he stared after him, eyes wide.

“Su—Suga!”

Leaves floated to the ground around him where Suga had disappeared.

“Suga!” Daichi scrambled to his feet, heart thundering in his chest.

What… what had just happened? No… Suga wasn’t…

Was he dreaming?

Daichi closed his eyes and slapped his cheeks, but when he opened his eyes again, nothing had changed.

He gulped.

After shoving his feet back into his boots and grabbing a flashlight and compass out of his bag, he turned in the direction Suga had flown and strode off through the trees.

He didn’t know how long he walked, every once in a while calling Suga’s name and checking his compass and taking note of his directional changes. He was getting too far from his camp. Soon he would be lost, with no cell service, totally screwed.

But…

That had been a _man. _

A _man_.

His mind was reeling and he still wasn’t completely convinced that he hadn’t dreamed up the entire encounter but… that had been a man. He had transformed into a crow directly in front of Daichi’s eyes and…

_It’s Suga… right?_

He gulped and slowed to a stop. The flashlight’s beam pierced the woods in front of him, but all he could see were trees and trees and trees.

“Suga!” Daichi called, half cupping his mouth with his free hand. “Suga!”

He looked around, turning his light up into the canopy of branches overhead as he took a few steps to the right.

“Suga where are—”

His foot skidded on loose soil and a gasp burst from his lungs as his body dropped over the edge of a deep ravine. He let out a cry as he hit the ground and rolled, pain exploding in his right leg at the sound of a loud _crack_.

He tumbled all the way down to the bottom of the ravine and finally stopped, head coming down hard on a large, jagged rock.

His mind went foggy for a second and he let the flashlight roll out of his hand to the ground beside him.

Several seconds ticked by as he stared straight ahead along the length of the ravine, moonlight illuminating the area through gaps in the trees.

And then the shock faded and all he could feel was mind-numbing pain in his leg and skull.

“_Fu-uck_,” Daichi let out a sob, reaching up with a trembling hand to touch the hot, thick liquid that dripped down his temple. “_Fuck, fuck, fuck…_”

He tried to move his body but the pain in his leg stopped him, making him cry out in agony. Breathing hard, he pushed up on his bruised and cut elbows and stared down the length of his body.

_Broken._

His leg was definitely broken.

“_God damn it_.” He squeezed his eyes shut, head dropping back.

He was screwed.

Not only was he far away from his campsite, but he also hadn’t bothered to tell anybody that he was going camping that weekend. He was too far out to get a signal on his phone, assuming it hadn’t been broken in his pocket after the fall.

And his leg was broken, his head bleeding so profusely that it started to drip into his left eye.

He was fucking _screwed_.

Just what in the hell was he thinking? Chasing after a hallucination in the dead of night, _alone_?

He had to be insane.

Daichi choked on a sob and draped an arm over his eyes. He was in unbelievable pain, head fuzzy and stomach rolling with nausea. Still partially in shock, shaking panic rose inside of him.

This wasn’t some small mistake that he could fix with a good attitude or some deep thinking. He had screwed up so bad and unless a miracle happened, Daichi was going to die a slow and agonizing death right there.

And all because he dreamt of a shapeshifting bird.

He couldn’t help but let out a humorless laugh, tears welling up in his eyes.

What an embarrassing way to die.

_Stupid._

His arm dropped down in the dirt next to him and he stared up at the canopy of branches overhead.

At least nobody who found his body would know _why _he was there. It would make it ten times more embarrassing if his ridiculous hallucination was attached to his tragic death.

“Good thing I don’t have a pet waiting for me,” he whispered with another laugh, a little bit delirious from the pain.

He closed his eyes, wishing the blood loss would let him just pass out already.

A few seconds ticked by and then he heard it.

A familiar caw, somewhere in the trees at the top of the ravine.

Daichi peeled his eyes open again, searching the branches until he found him.

A soft smile touched his lips.

“Hey Suga,” he said, voice weak. “Ahh…” He sighed. “At least I get to see… you one last time…”

His head was swimming, his eyelids drooping. Consciousness was slipping away from him, even though now he wanted nothing more than to stay awake. Just a little bit longer. He wanted to see Suga a little while longer.

He wanted to apologize for not giving him any jerky.

Suga spread his wings and flitted down into the ravine, cawing insistently.

“Sorry,” Daichi mumbled when he tugged on the string of his hoodie. “Can’t… can’t move. Sleepy… might… just… close my eyes… for a little bit…”

Just as his eyelids were lowering, there was a small puff of feathers and smoke and suddenly Suga was gone.

In his place, a man knelt, wearing a pair of loose black trousers and a wispy scrap of black fabric stretched diagonally over his torso.

Daichi blinked up at him as he leaned over, brown eyes wide with concern.

“Ha… ha…” Daichi tried to smile. “It wasn’t a… hallucination…”

“I’m so sorry,” the man whispered and his voice sent a wave of comfort washing over Daichi.

Even though he had never heard it before, it felt warm and familiar, something spoken in the space between sleep and waking.

“Suga,” Daichi mumbled as he reached out and cupped his face in his warm hands. “You’re… pretty…”

Suga leaned down and stopped just above his face, their noses brushing softly. “Daichi... I need you to wish you weren’t hurt.”

“I already do—”

Suga pressed their lips together, cutting him off.

For a moment, Daichi merely melted into the touch, ignoring the fact that it was weird, totally weird, that he was kissing his sort of pet bird.

Suga’s lips were soft and warm, a momentary distraction from the pain.

_At least I get to die after kissing a pretty man._

_Worth it..._

Suga broke the kiss but didn't move away. He murmured a soft, "_Wish,_" and then kissed him again, hands giving a little tremble on either side of Daichi's head.

_Oh. Right..._

_I wish I wasn’t hurt._

A sudden wave of heat flushed through him, starting at his lips and traveling all the way through his skull and down to the tips of his toes. In its wake, all his pain disappeared.

He sucked in a sharp breath, eyes widening as his vision suddenly cleared. He stared up at Suga, still leaning over him, lips light against his. Daichi watched in disbelief as a drop of blood streaked down his pale face from his silver hair and he pulled back with a wince.

Daichi’s mouth went dry as he watched Suga lean away, face contorted with pain, bottom lip bitten between his teeth.

“Su—”

Smoke and feathers covered his transformation back into a crow. He hobbled on one foot on the rock next to Daichi’s body and then took flight.

“Wait!” Daichi sat up hurriedly, but Suga didn’t spare him a glance as he flew clumsily up over the side of the ravine and disappeared from view.

“_Shit_.”

Daichi scampered to his feet, grabbing his flashlight on the way. “Suga!” he called after him and clawed his way up the ravine. At the top, he swept the flashlight left and right, but the bird was nowhere to be seen.

“God damn it…” Daichi kicked a rock and watched it skitter across the ground. He slowly lowered his eyes and stared down at his leg.

Healed.

The pain was only a distant memory, so intangible that Daichi wondered if it had ever existed in the first place.

He gulped.

There was no way that… it was impossible that this had happened. But… the pain had felt too real for this to be a hallucination.

Daichi pulled his compass from his pocket and headed back in the direction of his campsite.

Real or not, he had learned his lesson.

_No chasing fairies in the dark._

He was just going to have to wait until morning instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first part of a longer piece I'm in the process of writing!  
It just fit so well with the prompt that I had to cut myself some slack and use it instead of writing something brand new. Phew
> 
> Come yell at me on [Tumblr.](https://mooifyourecows.tumblr.com/)


	3. Drama Next Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3: Drama

Living in a tiny apartment with paper thin walls had its pros and its cons.

The cons: Tiny. No privacy. All the building’s tenants fought over the same parking spaces on the regular. If anyone on the floor above him stomped too hard, ceiling dust fell into his ramen.

The pros: The neighbors constantly screamed their juicy drama at the top of their lungs and Sugawara could hear every. single. word.

Growing up, Sugawara had never thought of himself as an _eavesdropper_. While other people’s business definitely interested him to a certain level, he was always more afraid of being labeled as a busybody who couldn’t be trusted with secrets than interested in hearing the tea of who cheated on who or who got drunk and barfed in whose two hundred dollar shoes at a house party to which Sugawara definitely wasn’t still salty about not being invited.

But three years ago, shortly after moving into his new tiny apartment, Sugawara added eavesdropping to his nightly schedule.

After particularly hard days at work, he’d even make himself some popcorn and sit with his back pressed to the wall that separated him from the fighting couple and just listen until it went quiet or he fell asleep curled on the floor.

In a way, he found it soothing. It reminded him of home, where his siblings used to fight well into the night in their shared bedroom next to his.

This was different though, of course. Very, _very _different.

His little brothers’ arguing was nowhere _near _as entertaining as the drama brewing between his neighbors.

“_I thought I told you to never come back!”_

Sugawara nearly tripped over his shoes as he took them off in the entrance of his apartment.

_They’re starting already?_

He hurried into the tiny kitchenette and ripped open the cupboard, straining his ears to hear Kenta’s reply to his wife’s yell.

“_It’s my name on the lease! I'll come back whenever I want to, Woman!_”

Ema screeched something wordless and the sound of something shattering against the wall echoed through Sugawara's apartment.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” Sugawara whispered as he rushed to tear the wrapper off of a new bag of popcorn. The crinkling of the plastic blocked out the next few shouts and he let out a whimper. Once it was finally off, he shoved the bag into the microwave, started it up, and bolted the short distance across the apartment to press his ear against the wall.

“_I don’t care!” _Ema screamed.

_“Help me clean up Granny’s ashes!_”

Sugawara gasped and pressed a hand over his lips. “Not Granny Fuyuko’s urn…”

Stomping shook the floor as the couple moved through their apartment. Sugawara slid across the wall to stick close to the action.

“_Why don’t you just divorce me already?”_ Kenta asked.

“_You know I can’t until Uncle Hachirou finally croaks and leaves me his chateau in the mountains!_”

The microwave beeped and Sugawara cursed under his breath. He ran on tip toes back into the kitchenette and grabbed a bowl from cupboard. Normally he would drizzle butter all over the treat but this time he didn’t waste the extra seconds. Once the popcorn was in the bowl and a salt shaker was shaken wildly over it, he ran back to the wall and pressed his ear close, absently taking a bite.

“_I don’t care what kind of drugs he peddled, that house is massive!_”

“_And filled with places for cocaine to hide!_”

Sugawara hummed softly and crunched on the popcorn. It had been a while since they had fought about Uncle Hachirou’s drug cartel.

“_Oh like you’ve never hidden illegal substances in the wall before?_”

Well, not in this apartment building, at least. Considering the walls were too thin to fit a toothpick between, let alone a pound of cocaine or the remains of Uncle Hachirou's traitorous drug mule.

"_That's besides the point!_"

“_You’re not better than Uncle Hachirou, so just shut your mouth!_”

Something else shattered.

“_At least I didn’t host an orgy in the basement while my daughter’s sixteenth birthday party happened upstairs!_”

Sugawara let out a tiny gasp, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth. _Uncle Hachirou you dog…_

“_Only because you don’t have a daughter!_”

“_That I know of!_”

“_Shut up, I know you're impotent!_”

Sugawara crunched on his popcorn and whispered, “Nooo, Kenta don’t be impotent you’re so sexy…”

“_And how did you know that?_” Kenta shouted back.

“_Your mother told me!_”

“_Liar! My mom has been dead for thirteen years!_”

Sugawara’s hand froze halfway to his mouth.

“_I went to a psychic! She told me all about how you unicycled across Europe you bastard! How could you not think about your future sperm?_”

“_Oh like you care? You’ve never wanted kids anyway!_”

“_Maybe I will someday!_”

They moved again and Sugawara hurriedly tried to keep up, stepping up onto his couch.

“_Don’t act like your kind doesn’t eat their young you fucking hamster._”

Ema released a loud gasp. “_Well I’d rather eat my young than the ass of every floozy that gives me any attention!”_

_“It was one time!”_

“Kenta you _dog_,” Sugawara whispered.

Suddenly the voices turned muted. Sugawara’s eyes widened.

“Nooooo!” He hopped off of the couch. The couple must have moved into the bathroom, the only room in the apartment that Sugawara couldn’t hear.

That is… unless they left the window open.

Sugawara rushed off across his apartment and threw the sliding door open. He lunged out onto the balcony, socked foot catching on the rug. He squeaked as he pitched forward and almost fell, one hand flashing out to catch himself on the balcony railing. His body collided with the railing and his head popped up, eyes instantly making contact with the pair staring at him from the balcony next to his.

Right.

There was _one _other pro to living where Sugawara did.

And that was that his neighbor on the _other _side of his apartment was _hot_.

Insanely hot. The kind of hot that should be illegal, locked away and out of sight for the sake and sanity of Sugawara's weak, gay heart.

Sugawara had only shared a few passing words with him, in the hallway or at the dumpsters on his way to toss his garbage, but his intense stare and crooked smile had made more than a few appearances in his dreams at night. Three years later, he was still trying to figure out how to score a date, completely hopeless with love, as usual.

Daichi stiffened, one hand gripping at his chest as if to catch his heart from leaping straight out at the surprise of Sugawara's sudden appearance.

Sugawara blinked, glancing down to the bottle of wine clutched in his other hand. Daichi, in turn, looked at his bowl of popcorn.

A moment of understanding passed between them when they made eye contact once more.

Before either of them could say a word, Ema's scream erupted from the open window of her bathroom,

“_You can’t hide it! I know you’re only with me because I remind you of your high school girlfriend!_”

Kenta let out a barking laugh, “_As if you could ever compare!_”

“_Well sorry I’m not her!_”

“_Me too!_”

Sugawara looked at Daichi again and then gestured at his balcony, silently inviting him over.

Daichi didn’t hesitate. He climbed up onto the railing of his balcony and hopped over to Sugawara’s. They moved to the corner closest the noise and sat, shoulder to shoulder. Daichi offered his bottle of wine and Sugawara took it, offering his bowl of popcorn. He drank while Daichi gathered up a handful of the salty treat.

Banging echoed from the neighbors’ bathroom window, followed by the whirring of what sounded like an electric razor.

“_Fine! Since I can’t compare anyway, I guess you won’t miss this!_”

“_Stop__! You know you’re under contract to keep that hair!_”

“_Fuck the Yakuza!_”

Sugawara and Daichi shared a wide eyed look.

Daichi leaned close and whispered, “I thought she got out of that agreement?”

Sugawara shook his head. “No, she was going to get out of it if they could pay off her nephew’s gambling debt, but Kenta lost the money at the underground gambling ring.”

“Right, right,” Daichi nodded. “Playing pai gow.”

The buzz of the razor persisted, followed by the sounds of a struggle.

Daichi reached for the bottle of wine and their fingers brushed, sending an electric jolt through Sugawara. He tried not to let the fact that they were sitting so close distract him, but Daichi’s body was so big and hard and it radiated heat like a furnace and Sugawara was maybe a little, maybe a _lot, _touch starved at the moment.

He took a nervous bite of the popcorn, trying and failing to tear his eyes from Daichi’s tanned thighs peeking out from his exercise shorts.

The razor suddenly went quiet and Sugawara forced himself to tune in once more.

“_You lunatic, there’s no way they’ll want you to dance for them with a half shaved head!_”

“_Guess you’ll have to hand over that extra kidney after all, won’t you?_”

“I’m so behind,” Daichi whispered, pressing his lips close to Sugawara’s ear. His hot breath warmed the side of his face and neck, sending chills shooting down his spine and over every appendage.

_Ahhhhhh!_

Sugawara bit the inside of his cheek.

“Does his sister not need that kidney anymore?” Daichi finished, pulling back just far enough to make eye contact.

Sugawara prayed that he couldn’t see the aroused panic in his gaze as he cleared his throat and replied, “Turns out she didn’t need it. She was lying because she wanted to sell it on the black market to get enough money to fly overseas and free her boyfriend from that Saudi Arabian prince. He was halfway into the surgery before Granny Fuyuko stopped it.”

Daichi’s head dropped back against the low wall surrounding the balcony against which they leaned. “Granny Fuyuko you angel. I miss her so much.”

“Me too,” Sugawara sighed.

“I’ve been thinking about taking flowers to her grave.”

Sugawara’s eyes widened and he straightened slightly. “Me too!”

That crooked smile lifted the corner of Daichi’s lips and Sugawara melted at the sight.

_Ohhhh dang._

_Dang, dang, dang._

_Take me right now you criminal Stud._

“Maybe we should go together,” Daichi suggested and Sugawara nearly passed out.

_Date! That’s a date!_

_Date, date, date, date, datedatedatedatedate—_

Daichi’s cheeks suddenly flushed pink and he cleared his throat. “Ahh… uhm… that is… if you want to. No pressure… I know we don’t really know each other that well or anything… uhm…”

Before Sugawara could tell him that _yes, yes, yes, yes, YES I’ll go with you_, Kenta was letting out a cry.

“_Put that knife down you crazy bitch!_”

“_Never! It’s about time I did this! I’ll kill you and take all the gold your mother left you!_”

“_You knew about that?_”

“_You’re damn right! And that’s not all I know about!_”

Sugawara and Daichi put aside the matter of their almost plans for a sort of date and listened close, huddling back against the balcony wall.

“_Oh yeah? And what else do you know?_”

There was a breath of silence, other than the clattering of footsteps in the bathroom, and then a loud _thunk_.

“_I know you had sex with my brother!”_

Sugawara sucked in a sharp breath, eyes popping open wide.

“_No—” _he said in a harsh whisper before Daichi clamped a warm, calloused hand over his mouth, cutting the word short.

“_So what if I did?_” Kenta snapped back. “_Like you haven’t_?”

Sugawara jerked involuntarily, the drama of the statements shooting his veins full of shocked adrenaline. Daichi tightened his hold on his mouth, scooting closer.

Ema didn’t respond at first, but then she clicked her tongue. “_So you knew._”

Sugawara shook his hands out, desperately trying to releasing some of the sudden energy pulsing through him at the newest development.

“_Knew what?_” Kenta scoffed. “_That he’s not actually your brother? That he’s actually the bastard son of that shrimp boat captain that killed your father in that duel?_”

Sugawara gripped Daichi’s forearm and pried his hand away from his mouth. He leaned close and whispered in an excited breath,

“The boat captain! That’s lore from like, the second season!”

Daichi blinked at him, then cracked a grin. “Season?”

Sugawara’s face flushed and he squeezed Daichi’s arm. “Shu-shut up. Don’t tease me. How else am I supposed to categorize it?”

“I’m not teasing you,” Daichi denied. “You’re cute.”

Sugawara’s heart thudded and he gulped.

“_How did you find out?_” Ema said but Sugawara could only half pay attention, eyes now locked on Daichi’s full lips. “_Kiyoshi is an illiterate mute. He couldn’t have told you._”

Daichi shifted closer to him, one hand slowly drifting across his side and then around his back. His other hand reached up towards Sugawara’s face.

“_Do you even need to ask such a stupid question?_” Kenta said, voice low.

Daichi’s thumb brushed over Sugawara’s cheek and he held his breath, peeking up into his eyes, which had gone dark with intensity.

“_You know that words aren’t the only way to communicate._”

Sugawara knotted his hands in the front of Daichi’s t-shirt and leaned up towards him. Daichi's large hand cupped his jaw, fingers burying in the hair behind his ear, and he closed the distance between them, lips closing over his with a sealing kiss. 

“_He and I… we spoke with our bodies._”

Sugawara released his held breath and tried to move closer, hands sliding up over his shoulders and then around his neck. The shifting of his legs upturned the bowl and sent popcorn tumbling all over their laps, but neither of them cared.

Daichi dragged Sugawara half on top of him, breaking the contact between their lips just to kiss him again, this time with mouth slightly open, breath hot and tasting heavily of wine and salt. His arm circled his waist, fingers bunching in the fabric of his shirt. Sugawara’s leg slipped between his thighs and his hand slid across his jaw, fingertips burning from the touch against his hot skin.

Suddenly, a loud moan sliced through the air and they froze. Sugawara pulled back and they stared at each other as another moan sounded from the direction of the bathroom window.

“_Oh Kenta…_”

“_Ema… Ema… yes…_”

At first, Sugawara and Daichi just stared at each other. But then they were each pressing a hand over their mouths to hold in their laughter.

They brushed the popcorn from their laps and crawled away from the sounds of Ema’s and Kenta’s... reconciliation. On the other side of the balcony, they sat on their knees and faced each other, grinning.

“So,” Daichi whispered. “That was… good.”

Sugawara’s cheeks warmed. “Ye-yeah. Real good.”

“Very good.”

“Really very good.”

“Good enough to do again?” Daichi’s eyebrow cocked.

Sugawara’s mouth went dry. “Yeah. Yeah definitely, totally. Yes.”

Daichi’s eyes twinkled and he dragged his gaze over his face momentarily before leaning forward. Sugawara’s hands squeezed into fists on his thighs and he eagerly met him in another kiss.

“_OH KENTA YES!_”

The cry ruined their sweet moment and they were holding back laughter again, falling into each other. When they finally gained control over themselves once more, they parted.

Daichi smiled, gently brushing a lock of hair from Sugawara’s eyes.

“Meet here again for tomorrow’s episode?”

Sugawara’s heart leapt.

_Date. Date, date, date, date, date…_

“I’ll bring the popcorn,” he said, feeling giddy and shaky.

Daichi’s grin flashed white and he leaned in one more time to brush their lips together.

“And I’ll bring the wine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *takes every liberty i can with the daily prompts*  
Thanks to everyone reading so far! I wanted to reply to comments but OOF who would have thought it would be busy, writing every prompt on the day they're supposed to be uploaded????  
Prostrastinators hoooooo  
I'll try to, in the very least, reply to the comments on the very last chapter, so if I don't reply to your comment on any of the earlier chapters I'm sorry! I did read them and they did make me very happy so thank you very very very much. <3
> 
> Come yell at me on [Tumblr.](https://mooifyourecows.tumblr.com/)


	4. Edible Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 4: Flowers

Daichi never thought he’d be one of those thirty-something year olds finally taking the advice of a dead loved one, a decade after said advice had been given to him.

Probably because Daichi hadn’t thought that very specific type of thirty-something year old actually existed.

And yet here he was, thirty-something years old and in the exact situation his deceased grandfather had spoken of ten years ago on his death bed.

He hadn’t spoken of this situation _specifically_, to be perfectly clear.

Grandpa Sawamura’s exact words had been:

“_If you ever need me after I’m gone, visit my grave after nightfall with a bouquet of tulips and tell your troubles to the woman that shows up to take them.”_

Now… there was a reason it had taken him an entire decade to finally take his grandfather’s advice.

Because it sounded absolutely bat shit crazy.

Daichi was in no position to be picky, though. And besides, if he _wasn’t_ there, in the cemetery, clutching a bouquet of flowers in one hand as he trekked through the headstones to his grandfather’s plot, he would probably just be back at home, miserable and alone and wishing he had his grandfather’s unyielding wisdom to help him through his problems one last time.

So there he was.

The flower shop had been out of tulips, so he had just bought whatever they had on hand so close to closing time, which happened to be a bouquet of nothing but multicolored delphiniums. His grandfather _had _specifically mentioned tulips but there was no way Daichi was going to search across town for a shop that had them. Not when he wasn’t sure the type of flower even mattered.

Not when this whole deal was completely bat shit crazy anyway.

He was already thoroughly creeped out by the time he made it to his grandfather’s headstone. It had been years since Daichi had believed in the occult or the supernatural, anything that might show up in a place and time like this, but there was just something chilling about being somewhere you shouldn’t be in the dark.

Grandpa Sawamura’s headstone was nothing special. Just a sleek grey slab, slightly taller than the average but lacking any fancy adornment. Simple, just like Grandpa. Just like Daichi.

He took in a shaking breath and then let it out, silently asking himself if he was _seriously _doing this right now.

“Hey Grandpa,” he murmured as he bent to place the bouquet on the grass in front of his headstone. “Long time no see.”

For about thirty seconds, he waited with bated breath. He didn’t know what he expected. Maybe that the woman Grandpa had spoken of would just appear out of midair and offer him advice? A specter from the other side that haunted this particular graveyard for a century.

... or something.

_What the hell am I doing?_

Daichi pressed his hands over his face and rubbed his eyes. How low had he stooped that he actually thought something would happen? If there was ever a woman that his grandfather thought might meet and help him, she was probably long gone by now. An old groundskeeper that tended the graves at night that he would sometimes seek the company of that had long since gotten a new job or even died and now owned one of the plots nearby.

How pathetic.

Daichi dropped his hands to his sides and stared down at the bouquet.

No amount of wishing or sacrificing flowers would give to him what his grandfather gave him when he was alive. That infallible advice that never failed to turn him down the correct path when he was feeling lost and insecure.

Daichi was truly on his own now, just like he had been for the past ten years and a bouquet of flowers in the middle of the night wouldn’t ... wouldn't change… that…

Daichi blinked. Pale fingers that seemed to glow in the moonlight stretched down from the top of the headstone, reaching slowly for the delphiniums.

For a moment, Daichi couldn’t move, couldn’t tear his eyes away from the delicate curve of a wrist connected to the slender forearm half concealed in a wisp of translucent fabric.

Terror gripped and held him hostage. He couldn't look up, couldn’t look at what was controlling that hand as it plunged into the bouquet and plucked out a stalk of periwinkle flowers.

He sucked in a shuddering breath and forced his eyes to follow as the hand brought the stalk up and up and up… to the lips of the man sitting cross legged on the top of Grandpa Sawamura’s headstone.

Daichi met glittering, dark eyes framed by thick, silver eyelashes.

The man was beautiful, in an ethereal, otherworldly kind of way. His silver hair glowed like a reflective pool of mercury. He stood out against the darkness like the moon, plucked straight from the sky and dropped onto Daichi’s grandfather’s headstone.

The man hummed, breath fluttering the petals of the delphinium held in front of his mouth.

Daichi watched, wide eyed, and waited for him to bestow whatever wisdom he had to offer—

The man bit one of the flowers off of the stem and chewed, head dropping back.

“Ahhh fuck yeah, that’s the stuff.”

Daichi’s expectations hit the ground with a thud.

The man pinched both ends of the delphinium stalk and started wolfishly biting off flower after flower as if it were corn on the cob.

“This is good shit! Where did you get these?” The man finished up all the blooms on the stalk and then tossed it away before eagerly grabbing another from the bouquet.

“Uhm…” Daichi cleared his throat. “The flower shop at the farmer’s market.”

“So tasty.” He continued to snack on the second stalk, moaning in delight.

Daichi watched him for long seconds.

Finally, he mustered up the courage to speak again.

“So… I was told that… that there would be a woman to show up… unless you’re…?”

The man shook his head and waved the half empty delphinium stem. “Kiyoko only shows up for tulips.”

“They were out of tulips…”

“Lucky me.”

Daichi propped his hands on his hips and hung his head, releasing a shuddering breath.

So his grandfather hadn’t been bat shit crazy after all.

“Hey, don’t look so disappointed,” the man said, a slight whine in his voice. “I’m not Kiyoko but I could take a whack at helping you.”

Daichi glanced up at him.

The man pointed at him with the now empty stalk. “So what’s up? What d’ya need? Want someone dead? Technically I’m not allowed to kill anyone, but I _can _push over buildings.” He held his hands flat out to his right and feigned pushing something over. “So ya know…” He shrugged and winked. “Do with that information what you will.”

“I don’t need anything like that.”

He sighed. “Yeah… they never do.” He examined Daichi silently for a few moments and then uncrossed his legs, letting them dangle over the front of the headstone. “You one of Sawa-san’s relatives?”

Daichi hesitated. “I’m his grandson.”

“Ohhhh, are you Daichi?” The man smiled and leaned forward.

“Yes…”

“Still suck your thumb when you sleep?”

Daichi’s cheeks flushed with heat. “No, of course not. I’m not a child.”

“Were you a child when you were twenty years old?”

“Back to the reason why I’m here,” Daichi raised his voice over the man’s cackling laughter. He cleared his throat into his fist. “My grandpa said that if I ever needed advice, I could come here.”

“Yeah well.” He reached down and picked out another delphinium. “Kiyoko is usually the one who handles that sort of thing. Advice. I’m more of a hands on sorta guy. But I’ll give it a try.” He spread his arms out wide and then swung them together in a loud clap. “Suga at your service!”

Daichi eyed him warily.

Somehow, it didn’t feel like this… _Suga_… would be able to help him. Not how his grandfather always could.

But Daichi was at the end of his rope.

He had nowhere else to turn.

With a sigh, he lowered to the grass, sitting cross legged. Suga watched him, nibbling on the flowers with bright eyes, bare heels gently kicking against the headstone.

“So…” he began. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Recently… my girlfriend of nine years broke up with me.”

Suga cocked an eyebrow.

“And she kicked me out of the apartment we shared.”

“Wow, harsh.”

“That’s not it though,” Daichi’s brow furrowed and he rested his hands in his lap. “I feel like, day after day I’m just going through the motions. I don’t love my job. I’m so busy that I never see any of my friends. I don’t have any hobbies but even if I did, I'd have no time to spend on them anyway. My boss is an asshole and my coworkers are annoying. I make good money but there’s nothing I want to spend it on.”

He glanced up into Suga’s eyes. Suga stared back at him, chewing slowly.

“I haven’t… felt excitement since playing volleyball back in college. I haven’t laughed… like _really laughed _for years. And I just… don’t know what to do.”

Suga was silent for a moment and Daichi waited, biting the inside of his cheek.

He had never liked to get vulnerable around others, especially strangers. It felt dirty, somehow. Like he was doing something wrong, completely against his nature.

Suga tore the last remaining bloom from its stem and said, “So what’re you asking? Do you want advice on… how to get your girlfriend back?” He cocked his head to the side and tossed the stem over his shoulder. “How to quit your job? Or do you want me to tell you a joke? Give me a second and I’ll think of one.” His face twisted up in thought.

Daichi considered waiting to hear whatever joke he thought up, wondering what sort of joke a being like Suga thought was funny, but in the end decided against it.

“No, I guess what I’m asking is… what should I do to feel… _alive_ again?” He gulped. “How can I feel excitement again?”

Suga hummed.

And it was so stupid. Why was Daichi there? Why was he asking such a childish question?

Suga slipped off of the headstone and stooped to grab another delphinium. He walked over to Daichi, footsteps not making a sound in the grass, and then dropped next to him. Despite looking as intangible as the moonlight, the weight and heat of his body next to him was solid and real.

“Have you ever tried one of these?” Suga lifted the flower.

Daichi blinked, glancing between it and his face. “Have I ever tried… a delphinium?”

“Yeah.”

“No. Can’t say I have.”

Suga held it out to him. “Here, have a taste.”

“No thank you.”

“C’mon!” Suga leaned into his side and waved the stalk. “Just try it!”

“I don’t want to—”

“What are you?” Suga’s eyes glinted and he smirked. “A _chicken_?”

The tendon in Daichi’s jaw twitched with irritation.

“Chiiiiicken?” Suga bent his arms and flapped his elbows. “_Bock, bock, bock bahhhhhhhck._”

Stubborn pride ignited in Daichi’s chest and he snatched the delphinium from his hand.

“Fine,” he snapped. “Shut up.”

Suga grinned.

Daichi held the flowers up to his face and eyed the light pink blooms.

Stupid.

It was absolutely ridiculous that he was even thinking about putting the plant into his mouth. But… Suga was there to help him. Maybe he had imbued the flowers with something and eating it would make everything clear to him.

That’s usually what happened in the movies and books, right?

Daichi’s nose twitched in disgust as he lifted the stalk to his lips. He hesitantly closed his teeth over one of the blooms and tore it from the stem. He chewed, mashing the velvet petals into a mush. The bitter taste coated his tongue and throat and he quickly swallowed, face screwing up in distaste.

Seconds passed after he swallowed the flower. He waited for the revelation to come, but when an entire minute passed he turned to Suga, whose eyes were squinted, glinting with silent laughter.

“I don’t get it,” Daichi said. “What was supposed to happen?”

“What do you mean?” Suga asked.

“I thought… I thought you wanted me to eat it because it would answer my question or…”

Suga grinned wide and Daichi let out a groan, shoving the delphinium stalk into his hand.

“Oh fuck you,” he grumbled.

Suga let out a laugh and slung an arm over his shoulders.

“Was it yummy?” he asked, tone light and teasing.

“Hell no. It was disgusting.”

“But wasn’t it exciting?”

Daichi paused, glancing into his face.

Suga’s smile softened. “You did something you had never done before. Wasn’t it exciting?” His arm slowly slid off from around his shoulders and he held his gaze. “Isn’t it exciting that you can just _do_ things?” He lifted the flowers and looked at them, turning them slowly in his fingers. “You can just take a bite out of something you’ve never tasted before. You can bring flowers to a graveyard after dark and have a conversation with something not of your world. You can just… _do _that. Isn’t that exciting?”

Daichi gulped. “I guess….” He lowered his eyes to his lap and stared at his hands. Slowly, his fingers tightened into fists and he said, “Yeah. Yeah it is.”

Suga rolled to his feet and hopped back onto the headstone, scooping up the rest of the bouquet along the way.

“Go on then,” he said. “You’ve got it.”

Daichi slowly stood.

It wasn’t the sort of revelation he had been expecting, but somehow, he felt relieved. It was so much simpler than he had anticipated.

Suga was munching on the flowers once more, watching him with smiling eyes, the moonlight reflected in his irises.

Daichi dusted off the seat of his pants.

“Uhm,” he began, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “Can I come again?”

Suga lifted a delphinium. “Blue is my favorite flavor.”

Daichi smiled. “Then I’ll be sure to get nothing but blue next time.”

Suga hummed, kicking his feet back and forth against the headstone.

Daichi hesitated one more second before turning away and heading across the graveyard towards home. He glanced over his shoulder eventually, but his grandfather’s headstone stood quiet and alone, the only evidence that Suga had ever existed in the delphinium stems picked clean on the grass all around.

The corner of Daichi’s lips lifted and a warm fog spread through his chest.

He faced forward once more.

“_RAH!_”

Suga was directly in front of him, a blue bloom in each of his nostrils.

Daichi let out a cry and slipped backwards. He slammed down on his back in the grass and stared up at him in terror.

Suga snickered and took a bite from a flower. He bent his arms and flapped his elbows. "I knew it. You are a chicken. Bock, bock, bo-baaaaahk."

“Oh man fuck you,” Daichi panted, clutching at his heart.

But then, shaking laughter burst from his mouth and his head dropped back. He slumped into the grass and laughed and laughed and laughed at the night sky, eyes filling with moisture until tears were streaming down his temples and his stomach ached.

“See you later, Daichi,” Suga said, voice laced with amusement.

Daichi rubbed his eyes, giggles bubbling past his lips. When he wiped the tears away and opened his eyes once more, Suga was gone again.

He let out a shuddering breath and stared up at the sky.

Daichi was a thirty-something year old man who had just spent part of his night in the cemetery, talking to something not of this world.

How exciting.

He slowly sat up with a groan, rolling his shoulder.

"_RAAAAHHH!_"

Suga appeared at his side and Daichi screamed again.

Maybe a little bit _too _exciting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh this one is so sloppy and thrown together but I'm just trying to throw something out each day. Hnnnn send help
> 
> Thank you everyone who has been reading and supporting me thus far! I appreciate you more than you can even imagine <3
> 
> Come yell at me on [Tumblr.](https://mooifyourecows.tumblr.com/)


	5. The I Love You Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 5: Challenge

Sugawara _liked _alone time.

He did.

Alone time was good because that was when he could get stuff done that he couldn’t when his boyfriend was around. He could watch his TV shows without having to pause or mute a dozen times to discuss the finer points of bad CGI and ridiculous writing. He could walk through their shared apartment without getting randomly dragged into a kiss against a wall or groped and propositioned for a romp on the hallway floor for the sole reason that they’d never done it there before and it would be fun, probably. Sugawara liked alone time because everything was quiet and peaceful and he didn’t have to lock himself in the bathroom just so he could answer a phone call without his boyfriend deciding it was a _great _time to begin a tickle war.

Sugawara liked alone time so much that it was he who had encouraged Daichi to go get drinks with his friends after work that night.

Which was a great decision, really.

Sugawara wasn’t lonely at all.

He didn’t miss the random butt squeezes or hugs from behind. He also didn’t miss the low calls of “_Baby” _or “_Sugar_” in that disgustingly deep voice dripping with honey and sex.

Nope. Sugawara wasn’t the tiniest bit lonely _at. all._

He wasn’t lonely during the first hour that Daichi didn’t show up after ending his work day and he wasn’t lonely three hours later when he turned off the TV and dragged his feet to the bedroom, a good hour before he was usually carried to bed after falling asleep on the couch.

It wasn’t until he was curled up on his side under the covers, staring at the wall, that he thought maybe he was a tiny, itty bitty, infinitesimally bit lonely.

Just a little though. And only because it was chilly that night, and he was used to having his own personal space heater in bed with him to sleep sprawled out on top of.

When another hour passed and he couldn’t sleep, he wound up on his phone, watching stupid internet challenge videos. He was halfway through a video of a pair of sisters trying to bake a cake using one’s hands from behind the other’s back when he finally heard the sound of the front door opening.

Sugawara wasn’t really that lonely or anything, but it was pretty late, and he had never received a phone call about the time Daichi would be returning home so he _was _a little annoyed. Just a little. And it was only because of the phone call thing. Not because Daichi had taken his advice and gone to drink with friends and left Sugawara alone all night. It definitely wasn’t about that, nope.

By the time the loud, clumsy sounds of Daichi’s footsteps and slurred singing made it to the bedroom, Sugawara had made the decision that the silent treatment was the appropriate punishment for his lack of communication that night.

It was the least of what he deserved. Sugawara was always sure to keep Daichi updated when _he _went out for the night. It was just basic courtesy. Sugawara didn’t know if Daichi was even alive, or if he had been killed on the street in some sort of freak hit and run. How long would it take before Sugawara was notified of his passing? They weren’t married and Daichi’s parents didn’t particularly like the fact that he and Sugawara were in a relationship so what were the odds that they would have even called him to let him know that something had happened?

Daichi could have _died _and Sugawara wouldn’t even know.

Yeah, the silent treatment was the bare minimum of what Daichi deserved.

The door of the bedroom opened and Daichi’s voice became clearer.

Sugawara didn’t look away from his video, merely listening to Daichi’s drunken singing and shuffling footsteps as he staggered over to the bed and fell into it.

“Baby,” Daichi murmured, voice raspy and thick. “I’m home.”

Sugawara ignored him, pressing his lips in a tight line.

“I’m home,” Daichi repeated, a little louder this time.

A heavy hand fell on Sugawara’s side and squeezed, using him as an anchor as Daichi grunted and scooted up against his back.

“I’m home,” he said, voice low. He leaned slightly over him, arm sliding around his waist. “I’m home,” he murmured and kissed the side of Sugawara’s neck. “I’m home, I’m home, I’m home.” He continued to cover all the exposed bits of Sugawara’s neck with kisses, ignoring the fact that Sugawara was ignoring him.

“Mmmm, I’m home.” He nibbled on the shell of Sugawara’s ear, hand slipping under his shirt and stroking up his chest.

Sugawara tried not to let the chills that erupted over his skin in response to the touches to sway him into forgetting his mission to punish Daichi for his carelessness.

He needed him to know how angry he was that he left him alone— ah, that he… that he didn’t call. Yeah. That was the reason why he was mad.

Sugawara wasn’t lonely.

He _also_ wasn’t happy that Daichi was back now, smelling heavily of liquor and pawing at his chest while his tongue teased at his ear.

Sugawara wasn’t happy. Not at all.

Just mad.

He gritted his teeth and stared more intently at his phone and the video playing, even if he couldn’t focus on what was happening now that Daichi’s hand had traveled down to the front of his boxers.

Sugawara tried to hold out, willing his body not to react to Daichi’s drunken fingers and tongue and hips rubbing up against him from behind.

He was weak though. Always and forever weak to this stupid man who didn’t call to reassure his boyfriend that he wasn’t dead on the street.

Though his body may be weak, Sugawara’s stubbornness was strong. And instead of giving in like his body wanted to, he threw an elbow back and knocked Daichi’s arm away from him with a growl. His heel drove into Daichi’s knee and he rolled his shoulder to get his lips off of his neck.

Daichi leaned slightly away for a moment, falling silent.

A wave of guilt washed over Sugawara and he winced, chest swelling uncomfortably. He hated that. He hated pushing him away and being mean, especially when Daichi was just being stupidly affectionate. Especially when Daichi was drunk and not as good at reading body language and it wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t see how angry he was in the way that he had remained stiff and quiet and didn’t respond to his greeting.

It wasn’t his fault.

No, wait.

Yes it was.

Because Daichi left him alo— er, _he didn’t call_. He didn’t call and that was bad and Sugawara was angry and rightfully so.

For a few seconds, the video playing on Sugawara’s phone was the only sound in the room. Sugawara felt Daichi settle down in the pillow behind him, no longer touching him, and the guilt grew stronger.

He didn’t like it when Daichi got silent. He didn’t like when he couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He didn’t like to imagine that he was thinking something wrong, like that Sugawara hated him or didn’t want to be touched by him.

Sugawara bit back the urge to apologize.

He needed to stay strong.

The pillow shifted, the weight of Daichi’s head lifting off of it.

“Didya hear ‘bout that one internet challenge going around?” he slurred, voice low and rough.

Sugawara gulped.

“It’s a couple’s challenge. We should try it.”

Sugawara closed out of the video and set his phone aside. He folded his arms in front of him, gripping the corner of the pillow tight.

“The challenge is called the _I Love You Challenge _and how it works is that the couple tries not to say that they love each other. The person who says it first loses.” Daichi cleared his throat. “Okay let’s give it a try. We’ll start on three. One, two, three, go. I love you.”

Sugawara’s heart strained.

“Oops,” Daichi let out a laugh. “I lost. Okay let’s try again. Start on three. One, two, three, go— I love you. Oh shit, lost again.”

Fingers lightly touched the back of Sugawara’s head, carding gently through his hair.

“One more time,” Daichi mumbled. “One, two, three, I love you.” He hummed. “Guess I’m just really bad at this.”

The fingers trailed down to the back of Sugawara’s neck, touch soft as it tickled over his skin.

“Okay let’s try a different challenge,” Daichi suggested. “Oh, I know. Let’s do the two lies and a truth challenge. I’ll tell two lies and a truth and you have to figure out which one is the truth. Ready?”

Sugawara slowly closed his eyes.

“Here we go. First, my name is Slappy McHandjob.”

Sugawara stifled a smile.

“Second, I have a tattoo on my ass of an Easter Island Head smoking a pipe and wearing a blonde beehive wig with a speech bubble off to the side that says, _We dem girls_.”

Sugawara pressed a hand over his mouth to hold in a laugh.

“Or third…” The bed bounced slightly as Daichi scooted closer. “Tonight I missed you so much that I drank a lot- too much- and then ditched my friends so that I could walk home and surprise you, but I got lost and had to call a cab but was so drunk that I forgot our address and cried in the backseat for twenty minutes while the cab driver used my phone to call my mom to get our address, and then I think I tipped him so hard that I need to borrow some money for the rest of the month, I’m sorry.”

Daichi nuzzled against the back of his neck and inhaled a deep breath.

Sugawara rubbed his stinging eyes.

Okay.

Maybe he had overreacted.

Maybe he had lied a little bit to himself.

Maybe he wasn’t actually mad at Daichi for not calling and was just upset that he hadn’t been around to grab his butt while he cooked dinner or sit on the floor and kiss his bruised knees after he tripped over the rug and took out the hallway table.

Maybe Sugawara was actually more mad at himself for suggesting Daichi go out and do things without him that night instead of stay home and ask a hundred different questions about the plot to Sugawara’s favorite drama in the middle of watching the latest episode.

He let out a sigh and rolled over to face Daichi, seeing him for the first time since he had shown up.

His face was half hidden in the pillow and he peered at him a little bit meekly, something that only ever happened when he was drunk and emotional and oh so very vulnerable and dumb. His eyes were bloodshot, the skin around them red and swollen with the evidence that he really had been crying earlier. His short hair was a mess, pushed back and sticking out as if he had been tugging on it. His nose and cheeks were flushed pink and his lips were red and chapped, the bottom one sucking in to be bitten.

“So?” he said, somewhat hesitantly. “Which one is the truth?”

Sugawara hummed and stroked his hair over his ear.

“I’m not sure, Slappy. Can I check your ass real quick?”

Daichi twisted, reaching for the waistband of his underwear. “Sure, you can check it all night long, Sugar.”

Sugawara giggled and grabbed his hands. He lifted them up to his lips and kissed his fingers tenderly.

“I was mad,” he whispered. “Because you went out without me.”

Daichi’s brows furrowed. “You told me to…”

“I know. I just thought… we spend so much time together. I figured you’d want a night without me for once…”

Daichi’s eyes narrowed. “… why?”

Sugawara stared back at him for long seconds. “Because… we’re always together…”

“Yeah and I like that.” Daichi pulled his hands out of his grip and wrapped his arms around him. “What’s wrong with it? You don’t want to spend all the time together?”

“I do…”

“Then what’s wrong with it? Let’s spend all the time together. Always. Just you and me, watching TV in our underwear.” He hesitated. “No more going out and drinking with other people. Drinking is only good with you anyway.”

Sugawara smiled. “Why?”

“Because when you’re not around I just cry and make myself look stupid.”

“That’s because you _are _stupid when you drink.”

“Yeah. But you’re the stupid boyfriend that made me go and do it tonight. So who’s more stupid?”

“Still you.”

Daichi grumbled and leaned close to bite the side of his throat.

Sugawara laughed and fought against him.

“Okay, okay! It’s my turn to do the two lies and a truth challenge!”

Daichi went silent and rested back to meet his gaze.

Sugawara slid his arms around his neck.

“First, I once made a cake explode just by looking at it.”

The corners of Daichi’s eyes crinkled.

“Second, I inspired the _I like the pretty boys _line from Lizzo’s hit song _Boys_.”

Daichi hummed thoughtfully.

“And third…” Sugawara scooted closer to him. “I’m sorry.”

Daichi’s arms tightened around him and he rested their foreheads together with a gentle sigh.

Several seconds passed in silence and then Daichi mumbled,

“When did you meet Lizzo?”

Sugawara laughed and pressed their lips together in a sweet kiss. When they parted once more, Daichi smiled sleepily and tugged Sugawara's leg up and over his hip.

"Let's play the _I Love You Challenge _again," he said.

Sugawara smiled. "Alright."

"One, two, three, go. I love you."

Sugawara smirked. "Wow, you are just terrible at this challenge."

Daichi narrowed his eyes. "You were supposed to say it with me. It was going to be cute and romantic."

"I play to win, Daichi."

He chuckled and kissed his lips. 

"Good thing you're the only person in the world I'm okay with losing to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daichi being overly emotional and pathetic when he's drunk is the only characterization I care about, bye
> 
> Come yell at me on [Tumblr.](https://mooifyourecows.tumblr.com/)


	6. The Highest Bidder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6: Fashion

Sugawara couldn’t tell whether he was too drunk or not quite drunk enough for this.

It was for a good cause, he told himself.

That good cause, of course, being that he could only keep his job if the club at which he worked remained in business.

A responsibility that, for some reason, was suddenly in his hands.

“C’mon, Suga, you got this.”

Tanaka massaged his shoulders, giving him a pep talk as if he was on his way into a boxing ring instead of onto a stage to literally sell his ass to the highest bidder.

“They’re going to expect sex,” Sugawara said dully, barely listening to the auction going on through the curtain while he waited for his turn.

“Well they’re not going to get it,” Tanaka moved to the back of his neck, fingers rough and not quite as comforting as he probably thought they were. “Me ‘n Asahi will make sure of that.”

Sugawara groaned, head falling back.

“Why couldn’t we sell Asahi?”

The man in question, who had been passing by at the moment, paused and turned towards them, eyes wide with terror.

“Please no,” he said, voice shaking. “Please don’t. I’ll cry.”

“We’ll get more money for you,” Tanaka told Sugawara, giving his shoulders a little pat. “Horny dudes will pay way more for a sexy kitten than a cowardly lion.”

Asahi let out a sigh of relief, clearly unbothered about being called cowardly so long as he got to escape being auctioned off for the night.

“We just need like four more grand,” Tanaka said. “Then we’ll hit our mark for the night and be able to pay off the old man’s debts. You’re our best shot at getting it.”

Sugawara grumbled and slicked his hands through his hair. The outfit Tanaka had practically put on him himself was much too tight and hot for the stifling temperature of the packed club. Sure, the tight leather pants looked damn good on him, but how sexy would he be if he went out on stage with sweaty pit stains?

And anyway, where did Tanaka get leather pants in his size at such short notice in the first place?

“_And now, for our last item of the night_!” Saeko’s voice echoed through the club and Sugawara moaned in dread that his time had finally come.

“You’ve got this,” Tanaka said again. “Just wrangle up a few more grand and we’re golden!”

“’Kay,” Sugawara muttered and shook out his arms, getting out the rest of his tension before Saeko announced him.

“_An exclusive, one on one date with our very own Sugawara Koushi!_”

Tanaka gave him a light push and Sugawara shoved the curtain aside and walked confidently out on stage, causing the club to fill with raucous applause and drunken catcalls. He feigned ease and comfort, wearing a smirk as he gave a wave and moved to center stage.

“_Enjoy a private date of your choice with this perfect ten,” _Saeko went on, selling him like a pro as he strutted across the stage and sent out winks to the hollering drunks sitting down below. He was already receiving raunchy calls but Sugawara didn’t let his haughty smirk fall from his lips as he modeled and riled the audience up with the sway of his hips in the tight leather pants.

Once Saeko finished with her spiel, she drew the cheers back with a powerful hit against a taiko drum next to her podium.

“_Now! I know you won’t disappoint me, so let’s start the bidding low, at one hundred dollars._”

Several calls rang out and the numbers skyrocketed.

Sugawara really wasn’t all that thrilled to be the one and only live item up for bid that night, but he supposed he sort of deserved it. He _was_ the one in charge of acquiring a big item to sell after all, but the guy who was supposed to give it to him had completely flaked out and he was left empty-handed when push came to shove.

So what else could he do other than sell his own damn self?

The bidding shot up to two grand before it started to slow, bouncing between the same four bidders, who tossed taunts to one another between numbers.

“Thirty-five!” one of them announced proudly and the three others hesitated, looking unwilling to go any higher than that.

Sugawara glanced towards Tanaka and Asahi who stood just beyond the curtain. Tanaka gestured at him, urging him to do something.

He let out a soft sigh and then very deliberately fanned his face, cocking his hip to the side and thumbing off the top two buttons of his shirt.

“Thirty-six!” someone shouted.

Sugawara undid two more buttons, biting down on his bottom lip and giving the crowd a hooded stare.

“Thirty-seven!”

“Thirty-eight!”

He turned sideways and slowly bent at the waist, arching his back and poking out his rear end.

“_Thirty-nine!”_

_“Four thousand!”_

_“Forty-three!_”

Well, they had reached their goal. Sugawara could stop now. But… now his curiosity was piqued.

How high could he get the horny bastards to go?

Sugawara straightened and trailed his fingers down the center of his chest, languidly, licking over his top lip and earning a few hoots and hollers. He continued to show himself off as if any of them had a chance to actually get him in the sack rather than just take him on a date. He flaunted the parts of him that he knew were the best, taking advantage of the tightness of the leather pants and his sweat slicked hair.

The bidding didn’t begin to slow again until it was nearing seven grand and several of the bidders dropped out with groans of defeat. It was then that it dawned on Sugawara again that he was actually going to have to go on a date with whoever it was that won. And after his show of seduction, it was going to be an absolute pain explaining that there was no chance in hell that he was going to have sex with him.

This was such a terrible idea.

But it was too late to back out now.

“Ten thousand.”

The loud, deep voice that called out the ridiculous number brought a hush over the club as everyone started hunting for the owner of it.

“_Did I hear ten grand?_” Saeko repeated, absolutely rabid over this sudden development. “_That’s ten grand. Anybody want to contend?_”

The crowd murmured in hushed tones, but nobody rose to meet the new challenge.

“_Ten grand. Going once? Twice? SOLD to the lucky gentleman in the back!_”

Sugawara searched for the winner, shielding his eyes from the blazing heat of the lights above, but he could see nothing but shadows.

“_Come on up to claim your prize!_”

Sugawara gulped as one shadow separated from the rest and traveled in the direction of the stage.

It was definitely too late to turn back now.

Several boos from the losers rang out when the winner finally stepped onto the stage and into the light.

_Oh._

Well, at least he was hot.

Saeko approached the man and threw an arm around his broad shoulders, holding her microphone to her lips.

“_Congrats! And what’s the name of our big winner tonight?_”

She lifted the microphone to his mouth.

“_Daichi_,” he said, eyes resting on Sugawara where he stood a short distance away.

Sugawara gulped, suddenly outrageously nervous.

_Too hot._

Though he definitely wasn’t dressed like the type of guy flush enough to toss ten grand around like it was pocket change. Unless _all_ rich guys dressed like they were straight out of the gym.

He dragged his gaze down from the grey hoodie that clung close to the man’s thick arms and chest to the black sweatpants that clung even _closer _to his unfairly massive thighs.

And Sugawara couldn’t find it in himself to complain.

Saeko slapped Daichi on the back and gave him a little push in Sugawara’s direction.

“_Congrats to our highest bidder. Now collect your prize!_” She turned to the crowd. “_Well, that’s all we have for tonight. Thank you all for joining us and spending so much money!_” She cackled.

As she went on with the conclusion of the auction, Daichi walked up to Sugawara and gave him a small smile.

_Oof, cute._

Sugawara cleared his throat and took Daichi’s arm. “Here,” he mumbled. “I’ll show you where you pay.”

He pulled him backstage, past Asahi and Tanaka, who instantly followed, giving Daichi intimidating stares. Sugawara took him to where Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were taking the money at a table. Tsukishima already had everything ready and Daichi pulled his wallet from the front pocket of his hoodie.

“You bought a single date with Suga,” Tanaka explained as Daichi leaned over the table and swiped his card. “I don’t care that it cost you ten grand, it’s _just _a date. Suga reserves the right to turn down any and all physical contact so _keep your hands to yourself, big guy._”

Daichi chuckled. “Will do.”

“You better. If you _don’t_, me and my friend here will have something to _say_ about that.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Asahi, whose arms were crossed over his chest, chin lifted as he gave off his best _don’t even think about it_ vibe that only his friends knew was one hundred percent a front and not at all backed up with any sort of badassery whatsoever.

“That won’t be necessary.” Daichi signed the receipt and straightened.

Tanaka hummed, sizing him up for a few more seconds before turning to Sugawara. He gave him a questioning look and Sugawara answered with a thumbs up.

“Alright then,” Tanaka stepped back.

Tsukishima passed a ticket over to Daichi and said, “Show this to the doorman on your way out.”

“Got it.” Daichi glanced at Sugawara. “Ready?”

He gulped and nodded.

“Have fun!” Yamaguchi said, but then paused, cheeks coloring. “Uh… uhm… but not… not too much fun.”

“_Or else_,” Tanaka tacked on, cracking his knuckles.

“God,” Sugawara muttered under his breath and rubbed his eyes.

Daichi chuckled again and took his arm. “It was a pleasure doing business with you gentlemen.” He led Sugawara out from backstage.

Several voices called out to them, mostly sore losers giving Daichi drunken abuse or asking Sugawara to give them a date some other time. Daichi ignored them, though he did put himself between Sugawara and the drunks, pressing a soft hand to the small of his back.

_Oof._

At the door, Daichi handed the ticket to Ukai, who gave him a long, silent stare before opening the door for them. As they passed, he touched Sugawara’s arm, lifting one eyebrow.

Sugawara gave him a thumbs up, the only response he was capable of, apparently, and he nodded.

A few men loitered on the sidewalk outside of the club and Daichi led Sugawara away from them and their calls.

Neither of them spoke until they were around the corner and out of sight.

Daichi immediately removed his hand and turned to him.

“There,” he said. “You’re free.” He gave him a gentle smile.

Sugawara blinked. “Huh?”

“Want me to call you a cab?” Daichi looked up and down the street.

“Uhm…” Sugawara stared at him in confusion. “What about the date?”

“It’s alright. You don’t have to.”

Sugawara gaped and Daichi gave up the search for a cab to turn back to him, eyebrow cocked.

“You paid ten grand for a date and you’re not even going to do it?” Sugawara said.

Daichi hummed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I paid ten grand to keep a guy who clearly didn’t want to go on a date with a random drunk from having to do that.”

Sugawara continued to stare at him in disbelief.

Daichi gave him a crooked smile. “It’s fine, right? I mean… you looked like you’d rather die than go through with it.”

He gulped. “Well… I mean…”

Daichi chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. Just go home and relax.” He took a step back, gave him one last smile, and turned away.

Sugawara stared after him for long seconds.

_What the hell?_

_Who the fuck?_

_How rich you gotta be to…_

_Oh man he has such a nice ass…_

“I—” Sugawara blurted out, causing Daichi to pause and turn back to him. His cheeks burned and he cleared his throat. “I don’t mind. In fact…” He looked around. “Now that I’m outside… I think I’m a little hungry.”

Daichi stared at him quietly for a few seconds. He hummed and scratched his cheek.

“That’s not good…” he mumbled. He checked the watch on his wrist. “Well… there’s a food truck near here that I know of that makes the _best _grilled cheese…”

“Okay.” Sugawara walked up to him, maybe a little too eagerly.

“Cool. Well, I’m a little short on cash at the moment, so you’ve got this, right?”

Sugawara hesitated, giving him a look he hoped convey the “_are you fucking serious_ _right now?_” feeling he was too stunned to put to words.

Daichi chuckled. “_Kidding._”

Sugawara let out a breath of relief.

“I don’t have my wallet,” he admitted with a sheepish smile. He twisted his hips and smoothed a hand over the back of his pants. “I don’t think it’d fit in these pockets, honestly.”

Daichi hummed and Sugawara looked up at him, catching him admiring his rear end with an appreciative expression. His eyes flicked up and met Sugawara’s and he smiled. He offered his arm.

“Shall we?”

Sugawara took his arm, face burning. “Yeah.”

They walked in silence for the first block and Sugawara gratefully used the opportunity to calm himself, welcoming the cool night air to dry his sweat and dispel some of the nervous stickiness from the surface of his skin. Daichi seemed content to let the silence linger, staring straight ahead as he led him with confidence down the sidewalk.

It wasn’t until they turned the corner on a brightly lit street along which many various food trucks were parked that Sugawara broke the quiet between them.

“Uhm, thanks, by the way,” he said.

“Hm?”

“You know. For outbidding everyone.” He reached up and idly pushed at his hair. “You’re right. I was definitely dreading going on a date with some drunk.”

Daichi chuckled. “I’m glad I opted out of ordering a drink at the bar while I was there then…”

Sugawara smiled, lowering his eyes to the sidewalk.

Daichi led him to a truck and they ordered two grilled ham and cheeses. They ate and walked at the same time, just wandering down the sidewalk through the awake and lively downtown.

“Okay, this is the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had,” Sugawara admitted after taking a massive bite.

“Told you,” Daichi said, leaning his head back to drop a long string of melted cheese into his open mouth.

Sugawara moaned when he took another bite and got an especially juicy bit of ham.

“So.”

He glanced over at Daichi.

“You work at the club?” Daichi asked, cocking a thick black brow.

Sugawara nodded and swiped a bit of sauce from the corner of his lips. “Yeah, I’ve been working there for years. It’s kind of like… my second home.”

“What do you do there?”

“Well I help bartend on the nights we don’t do performances.”

“Performances?”

“Yeah. Music. Me and three of the others are a band. We do live performances a few days a week.”

“A band,” Daichi repeated, sounding a bit incredulous. “What do you play?”

“Bass.” Sugawara flashed him a peace sign. “And main vocals.”

Daichi’s eyebrows lifted on his forehead and he appraised him anew.

“Nee-san,” Sugawara said, holding his sandwich in both hands again. “The lady on the microphone tonight? She’s our drummer. Then Tanaka, the shaved head guy you met backstage, he’s our guitarist. Asahi, the big guy with the goatee and man bun, he’s our keyboardist and back-up vocals.”

“Wow,” Daichi looked forward again, lips pursing thoughtfully. “I would’ve guessed the lady on the mic and the Asahi guy would be the opposite.”

“Saeko-nee-san may be tiny and Asahi may be huge, but their personalities are completely swapped,” Sugawara said with a laugh. “Asahi is totally soft. He only_ looks_ scary.”

He paused, realization striking him.

“Uh, ah,” he looked nervously at Daichi. “Don’t think that means you’re allowed to take advantage of me. Tanaka is just as scary as he looks and don’t even get me started on Ukai-kun and besides, I’m no lightweight. I’ve been known to hold my own in a—”

“Relax Sugawara,” Daichi said with a chuckle. “I’m not going to do anything you protest to.”

Sugawara eyed him suspiciously. “Mmkay…” He turned forward and took another bite of his grilled cheese. “You can call me Suga.”

“Okay Suga.”

Sugawara chewed and side-eyed him, scrutinizing his outfit once more.

It just didn’t seem like the sort of thing someone wore to an auction at a club.

“So Daichi,” he said. “What do you do for a living?”

Daichi took his final bite and rolled the paper wrapper into a ball. “I’m a designer.”

“A designer? Of what? Like… houses? Or websites or something?”

Daichi raised the ball over his head and shot it into the garbage can up the sidewalk. It fell perfectly into the basket and he pumped an arm in triumph.

“Clothes,” he said. “I’m a fashion designer.”

Sugawara glanced at his hoodie and sweatpants.

“… athletic wear?”

Daichi laughed. “Well, I do have a line of athletic wear, yes. But that’s not all I do. I like to think I’m a jack of all trades.”

“But a master of none?”

“Think I’d be able to afford a ten thousand dollar date with you if I was?”

Sugawara dropped his trash in the garbage when they walked past it.

“Good point,” he said. “So what are some of the trades you are a jack of?”

Daichi gave him a crooked smile. “I like to make clothes for normal people and everyday use, but I also like to make the other stuff.”

“The avant garde stuff?”

“Yes, though in regards to the avant garde, I’ve been criticized as being a little… mild.”

A breeze blew through them and Sugawara hugged himself with a shiver. “Mild,” he said. “So you don’t put models in giant bird nests and make their tits look like eggs with baby birds bursting half out of the shell?”

Daichi laughed again. “Hey, that’s a good idea, lemme take notes.” He patted his sweatpants pockets like he was searching for a pen and pad.

Sugawara giggled. “You mean I might have a talent for this?”

“If not for design ideas, then _at least _for modeling,” Daichi said. He gripped the hem of his hoodie and dragged it up and over his head. He shook it out and turned to Sugawara, pulling him to a stop. “I’d love to put you in some of my clothes.” He slipped the hoodie over his head and wrestled it down, maneuvering Sugawara’s arms through the sleeves. When it was on, he straightened it around the collar and hummed, meeting his eyes. “Well.” He smiled. “Clothes that fit, I mean.”

Sugawara’s face _burned_.

_Smooth._

_Smooth like butter._

_What the hell is this guy?_

_And who gave him the right?_

Daichi’s hands gently stroked over Sugawara’s shoulders, eyes trailing down the front of the hoodie.

“You know…” he began. “I was on my way to my studio.”

“Huh?”

“Earlier tonight, I thought I’d go to my studio to get some work done. Usually I drive but for some reason I decided to jog. Then I heard all the noise coming from your club and decided to stop in and see what was going on.”

Sugawara blinked and lifted his hands.

“Wait. Hold on.” He stared at him with wide eyes. “You’re telling me you stumbled into our auction and spent ten thousand dollars tonight completely on _accident_?”

Daichi smiled crookedly. “Accident makes it sound so sloppy. I prefer to think it was fate.”

“No way.”

Daichi huffed a soft laugh. “The reason why I brought it up though… I was wondering if maybe you want to come see it.”

“Your… studio?” Sugawara’s heart rate quickened.

“Yeah. It’s not far from here. Just a block over.” He pointed up the street. “There are some pieces there… I want to show them to you.”

It was a ruse.

It had to be.

Daichi was just trying to get Sugawara alone, somewhere private, so that he could make a move and score some ass. It was the oldest play in the book. Sugawara saw straight through it.

Then again… at this point in the night, Sugawara wasn’t so sure that he wasn’t kind of… okay with that.

Not good.

Sugawara really wasn’t the type of guy who fell for this sort of thing. Past dates had called him a _tease_. Others had called him a prude. And then there were the other, more imaginative names thought up by his friends.

Sugawara “_needs a complete background check before he’ll let you in his apartment” _Koushi.

Sugawara “_Shania Twain’s (If You’re Not in it for Love) I’m Outta Here_” Koushi.

Sugawara “_getting him drunk makes him mean, not loose_” Koushi.

Sugawara just didn’t _fall _for this sort of stuff. He was careful. He was shrewd. He knew all the tricks and he wasn’t interested in partaking in any steamy one night stands, no matter how handsome or smooth the guy was.

And yet…

“Suga.”

Sugawara blinked, eyes focusing on Daichi’s face in front of him yet again.

He was smiling, corners of his eyes wrinkled in a charming, boyish way.

“Relax,” he said. “It’s okay to turn me down.”

But Sugawara didn’t _want _to turn him down.

For once in his life, Sugawara thought that maybe a steamy one night stand was _exactly_ what he wanted at the moment.

Sugawara cleared his throat and shoved his hands into the pocket of the hoodie.

“Take me there,” he said, looking away. “I want to see your clothes.” Sugawara headed up the sidewalk, steps swift.

Daichi jogged to catch up to him. His hand touched the small of Sugawara’s back, gently steering him closer to his side.

The trip to the studio was mostly silent and Sugawara took the opportunity to mentally prepare himself.

_It’s okay._

_It’s fine._

_I look good._

_Got a little bit sweaty earlier but that’s alright._

_Not ideal._

_But it’s fine._

_God, when was the last time I got laid?_

_Do I even remember how to do it?_

By the time Daichi was leading him up the stairs of the studio, Sugawara had worked himself in a full blown panic as he struggled to remember the last time he had been intimate. He had only done it a few times with his last boyfriend and it had been completely unmemorable. They hadn’t been compatible in the least and his ex, though he had been extremely attractive, was depressingly mediocre in the sack.

Just thinking about it disappointed Sugawara all over again.

_Man what a waste._

Daichi pushed open a door and led Sugawara into a large room with high ceilings. Light flared to life in an intricate wrought iron chandelier, illuminating the studio with a warm glow.

For a moment, Sugawara merely stood just inside the room and looked around. Mannequins stood about randomly, wearing clothes at various stages of completion. The center of the room was where Daichi’s work station was set up. It consisted of two long tables pushed together and was covered with bolts of fabric, a sewing machine, and an odd assortment of tools and supplies.

Sugawara moved into the room, pausing in front of a faceless mannequin wearing a half sewn dress of silver silk. The bodice was covered in black piping twisted and molded into a complex design that broke away from the silk to circle the mannequin’s shoulders and arms, spreading out like wings at its back, from which strings of glittering crystals and beads hung.

“That’s one of my mild avant garde pieces,” Daichi said from behind him. “It’s not finished.”

Sugawara grinned, glancing down at the lower half of the mannequin, which was mostly bare. “You mean it’s not supposed to be a pussy out kinda look?”

Daichi chuckled. “No, I don’t think I could get my models to wear something like that, honestly.”

Sugawara moved to another mannequin, this one with a masculine body shape, wearing a sleek suit of emerald velvet with an asymmetric lapel. Sugawara smoothed his fingers over the sleeve, marveling at the soft texture of the fabric.

“What do you and your bandmates wear for your performances?” Daichi asked, following when Sugawara made his way to the next mannequin dressed only in a black leather jacket being held together with pins of various colors.

“Nothing special,” Sugawara admitted. “When we were just forming, we tried to put together some sort of cohesive uniform or whatever… but we couldn’t agree. Nee-san wanted leather and spikes. Tanaka wanted ripped, spray painted gakuran. Asahi wanted something classy, like suits.”

“And you?”

Sugawara shrugged. “I didn’t really care. I just wanted to look cool and be comfortable.” He wandered over to the sewing station and lifted a bolt of patterned fabric. “We fought about it for a while but in the end couldn’t come to an agreement. So we each just wear whatever we want. I usually stick to jeans and a t-shirt.” His eyes drifted off past the tables, falling on the far corner, where a mattress rested, the bedding atop it messy and unmade.

Sugawara gulped, spiking with nervousness yet again.

“Can I…” Daichi began and Sugawara held his breath.

_This is it._

_I’m ready._

_No I’m not._

_Yes I am._

_Oh god I don’t know._

“Can I put you in some clothes?” Daichi asked.

Sugawara blinked.

_Oh._

That wasn’t what he was expecting.

He swallowed his disappointment and set the bolt of fabric down. He turned towards him and gave him a smirk. “Is that your not-subtle way of trying to get me out of my _current_ clothes?”

“It’s not subtle?” Daichi cocked an eyebrow, eyes twinkling.

“Not really.” Sugawara pulled Daichi’s hoodie up and over his head. “But I’ll allow it.”

“Great!” Daichi strode quickly across the studio to another mannequin, half hidden behind a massive ball gown of red satin. He dragged the mannequin forward and immediately began stripping the clothes from it.

Sugawara set the hoodie to the side and toed off his shoes, trying to peek over his shoulder from where he was.

Daichi turned, fabric draped over one arm. He gestured for him and then walked over to an oriental dressing screen painted with birds and cherry blossoms. Sugawara joined him and watched as he folded the clothes over a metal bar resting behind the screen and stepped to the side.

“Here,” he said, a little breathlessly. “If you need help, just ask.”

Sugawara’s cheeks warmed. “I think I can handle it.”

Daichi moved around the screen, giving him privacy.

Sugawara took a deep breath and undressed.

Could this be considered foreplay? Daichi’s equivalent of seeing his partner dressed in sexy lingerie, maybe? Or maybe he wanted a strip tease. Sugawara had never done that before. He wasn’t confident that he could pull it off well. Especially wearing clothes that weren’t his own. And were… oddly complex.

Sugawara lifted the pair of black pants and turned them around, looking for an indication of which side was the front and which was the back.

“Uhm,” he said when he couldn’t figure it out. “How do I wear these pants?”

“The leather straps on the thighs criss-cross in the front,” Daichi said. “I know it’s confusing, sorry.”

Sugawara hummed and shoved his legs into the pants, shimmying them up to his hips. They fit high waisted and snug, but the fabric was soft and breathable and unexpectedly comfortable.

He picked up the ash grey shirt next and held it up in front of him.

_Oh._

That didn’t look long enough at _all_.

Sugawara pulled the shirt on over his head, sliding his arms inside the sheer sleeves. The fabric fell just below his pectorals, leaving a gap of pale skin of his chest and stomach between the shirt and the high waisted pants. It was a little embarrassing. Sugawara had never been one to show his skin (outside of trying to seduce his way into getting ten grand for a date).

He smoothed his hands hesitantly over the straps of black that criss-crossed over the front of the shirt and then tugged on the buttons on the top of his shoulders.

“Okay,” he said, a bit unsurely. “I’m done…”

He slowly walked out from behind the screen and glanced towards Daichi, who was waiting, expression bright and expectant. He had a long sheet of ash grey fabric draped over one arm.

At the sight of him, Daichi froze, eyes drifting slowly down his body. He gulped, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat.

“Wo-wow,” he said, voice rough. “You look… even better than I thought…” He cleared his throat, cheeks flushed with color.

Sugawara got a burst of confidence.

_I flustered him._

_He totally thinks I’m hot._

“You doubted me?” he said coyly, cocking his hip to the side.

“I didn’t doubt you would look amazing,” Daichi said, walking up to him. “I just didn’t think _this _level of amazing was possible.”

Sugawara’s chest flushed with pleasure.

“Here,” Daichi said. “Just one last thing.” He stretched the fabric in his hands out and then swung it around Sugawara’s shoulders.

It fell softly against his back and down his legs, a cloak of shining ash grey silk.

Daichi stood close to him as he fastened the cloak to the buttons on his shoulders. Sugawara’s breath turned short and his heart spurred into a gallop at their close proximity.

_So close, so close, so close…_

“You know,” Daichi murmured. “I could make something for you guys.”

Sugawara swallowed. “Huh?”

“Your band,” he said, meeting his eyes momentarily before he moved to the other shoulder. “I could probably find a way to incorporate all of your ideas together.”

“Oh…” Sugawara’s hands turned clammy. “Well… uh, I don’t think we could afford to commission something like that…”

“We could work something out,” Daichi said. “I would probably be okay with getting paid with free entry and drinks from the club for… I don’t know… a couple months?” He smiled crookedly and Sugawara’s pulse raged. “It would be nice, you know… to see my work on a stage that isn’t a runway show.”

He finished with the cloak and his fingers gently trailed down Sugawara’s arms.

“Ah…” Sugawara’s heartbeat was pounding in his ears, he could barely concentrate, too aware the fact that Daichi’s lips were within kissing distance and oh _man _he was feeling bold at the moment. “I’d have to ask the others,” he said. “But that… sounds like a good deal. Like… a really… good deal…”

“Yeah?” Daichi was moving closer, fingers slipping off of his arms and touching his bare waist.

“Yeah,” Sugawara whispered.

“How good?”

“Uhm… ah… uh…” Sugawara gulped. “_This _good.” He grabbed Daichi’s face and dragged him into an eager kiss.

Sugawara expected it to be something like in the movies. They’d kiss and then part and Daichi would say something charming and then pull him back in for another and it would progress from there with romantic music playing in the background.

But it didn’t quite go that way.

Because the second Sugawara kissed him, Daichi’s arms were around his waist, yanking him hard against his chest, and then his tongue was full in his mouth and they were kissing and kissing and kissing until Sugawara was dizzy and he was probably going into cardiac arrest but he didn’t care because he’d always kind of hoped that he’d die like this, getting totally ravaged by someone really effing hot.

Daichi’s arms tightened around his waist and he was suddenly lifted off of his feet and turned around.

Sugawara hugged him around the neck and slanted their mouths together with a shaking breath. Daichi staggered across the studio, bumping into a mannequin and sending it tumbling to the floor with a clattering _thud_.

And then his hands were sliding down to the backs of Sugawara’s thighs, lifting his legs up to either side of his hips. He walked another few steps and fell to his knees on the mattress. Sugawara let go and fell back against it, bouncing.

Daichi leaned over him, panting, eyes half lidded and glazed over.

“You…” he began, voice low and rough. “You’re not doing this just because I gave you ten grand, right?”

Sugawara snorted and let out a laugh. “Please. Like I’d put out for a measly ten grand?”

Daichi chuckled and leaned close. “So expensive… but I’d pay any price.”

“In that case, make it twenty—”

Daichi silenced him with another round of consuming kisses. One hand thrust up under the half shirt, a thumb coasting over Sugawara’s left nipple.

Sugawara gripped the shoulders of his t-shirt, lifting his head up off of the mattress to kiss him deeper, knees squeezing his hips.

Daichi’s other arm slipped under him and he hauled him up higher on the mattress. His fingers hooked in the waistband of the pants and he pulled.

Sugawara broke off their kiss.

“Wait,” he whispered. “Careful. Your clothes—”

“I’ll fix them,” Daichi growled and yanked the pants down, not even flinching at the sound of fabric ripping.

Sugawara sucked in a sharp breath, arousal shooting through his veins at the rough way Daichi discarded the clothing to the floor behind him. Getting another sudden burst of confidence, he dug his fingers into Daichi’s shoulders and shoved, rolling him onto his back. Sugawara climbed on top of him, gathering up the cloak in a fist and throwing it out behind him to drape from his shoulders to the foot of the mattress.

Daichi gazed up at him with wide eyes and parted lips, chest rising and falling rapidly.

Sugawara tried to come up with something quick and witty to say. Something sexy and coy that could serve as a preamble to the action but when a few seconds passed and his mind was blank of anything but _holy shit, holy shit, holy shit_, running on repeat, he merely breathed out a low, “Okay,” and dropped down to press their mouths together again.

Daichi chuckled against his lips, hands coming up to bury his fingers in his hair.

“Okay,” he murmured.

* * *

Everyone was staring at him as he walked stiffly across the club, trying not to make eye contact.

_Act cool, act cool, act cool…_

“Those clothes look familiar,” Tanaka finally broke the silence when Sugawara bent down to fetch his coat and wallet from under the bar.

Sugawara winced and straightened.

Saeko hopped onto one of the stools across from him, wearing a bright grin. Tsukishima side eyed him from where he stood a short distance away, cleaning a glass with a towel. Yamaguchi sat next to Saeko, Asahi standing beside him. Tanaka walked up and slapped Sugawara on the back.

“Don’t panic, Suga, but I think you’re in the middle of doing _The Walk of Shame_!”

Sugawara’s cheeks grew hot.

“Nice job Koushi!” Saeko whooped.

“Tell us what happened!” Tanaka urged, nudging him with his elbow. “Did you guys have sex?”

Asahi lifted his hands. “Now, now, it’s none of our business what they did…”

“They totally had sex,” Tanaka said. “Why else would he be wearing the same clothes as last night?”

“He left his keys and wallet here,” Yamaguchi offered.

“Then why didn’t he come back to get them?”

“Well maybe he—”

“Suga, you ready?”

Everyone went silent and turned towards the front door of the club.

Daichi stood just inside, hands in the pockets of his sweatpants.

“Good morning,” he said, voice smooth as caramel.

Everyone whipped back towards Sugawara and he flushed hot with embarrassment.

“He’s not doing The Walk of Shame,” Tanaka whispered, scandalized. “He’s still in the middle of the fucking date!”

“_Way to go, Koushi!_” Saeko pumped her fist in the air and laughed.

“Yeeeaaaahh!” Tanaka and his sister high fived.

Sugawara groaned and rubbed his eyes. “Please shut up.”

“What are you two about to go do, huh? Take it back to your place and keep the party going?” Tanaka grinned wolfishly and _god _Sugawara would punch him if Daichi wasn’t still watching them.

“No,” he hissed and pushed past him. “I said I’d buy him breakfast. Shut up.”

“But you guys _did _bone last night, right?”

“_Shut up._”

Sugawara rushed off across the club and joined Daichi.

“Nice to see you all,” Daichi said, giving them a wave that they answered with coos and catcalls.

“Oh my god,” Sugawara shoved through the door.

Daichi followed, chuckling.

“They seem fun,” he said.

“They sold me to a stranger last night.”

“True…” Daichi hesitated, giving him a crooked smile. “Hold on a second?”

Sugawara blinked and watched him step back to the door and pull it open. He stepped halfway into the club and called out,

“By the way, thank you!”

Sugawara pressed a hand over his eyes, hopeless smile tugging at his lips.

Daichi closed the door again and turned to him. He held out his hand and grinned.

“Shall we?”

Sugawara sighed and took his hand, radiating giddy heat.

“Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This used to be a WIP that had been stagnating in my WIP folder so I decided to take it and finish it for today. Though I did have to change Daichi's profession to fit the prompt. And I don't know how to end things so the ending is just kinda.... meh. 
> 
> BUT ANYWAY
> 
> THANKS FOR READING I LOVE YOU THANK YOU BYE
> 
> Come yell at me on [Tumblr.](https://mooifyourecows.tumblr.com/)


	7. Late Bloomer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 7: Free Day

Daichi’s mom called him a “_Late Bloomer_.”

He hated that.

_Late bloomer._

It sounded like he didn’t hit puberty until he was eighteen. It sounded like he wore diapers well into adolescence. It sounded like an excuse moms give about their embarrassingly socially awkward kids as to why they have no friends.

None of those things applied to Daichi.

He had gone through puberty and was toilet trained at the _normal _ages, thank you very much. He also had _plenty_ of friends and wasn’t socially awkward in the least. (Unless you counted that time he told pizza delivery guy, “I love you,” instead of “thank you.”)

No, Daichi wasn’t that kind of late bloomer. According to his mother, he was a late bloomer because months had passed since he confessed to and started dating his best friend and _still_… he hadn’t had his first kiss.

According to his mother, a few months was much, _much _too long to wait to get to first base.

Well how was Daichi supposed to know that? Sugawara was his first boyfriend, after all.

And it’s not like there were any books or instruction manuals on how to date your best friend. When and how to have your first kiss sure wasn’t included in the sex talk his father had ho-hummed his was through back when he was thirteen, and then _again _when he was fifteen and started his high school life at Karasuno where he met Sugawara and realized the heterosexual sex talk just wasn’t going to cut it.

That being said, now that he understood that he was behind, a total _late bloomer_, he was determined to remedy that before graduation.

“You know,” his mother said one night when they were doing the dishes together. “At your age, I had already had sex several times.”

“Oh my god Mom,” Daichi’s cheeks burned. “I don’t want to hear about your wild teenage sex life.”

“It wasn’t _wild_,” she protested, passing him a dripping bowl. “That’s pretty average! Most kids your age have had at least _some _kind of sexual experience.”

Daichi dried the bowl with a towel. “Are you trying to peer pressure your son into having sex? I’m pretty sure that’s the opposite of what you’re supposed to do.”

“Oh I just worry about you.” She sighed. “It’s been nothing but _volleyball, volleyball, volleyball_ since you were a little boy. I don’t want you to miss out on any fun high school experiences because you were so wrapped up in a club.” She passed him a cup. “I was so happy when you met Koushi-chan and finally showed interest in something else for a change.”

“What’ve you got against volleyball?” Daichi mumbled.

“Nothing! But I was worried that once it ended…” she trailed off with a shrug.

_Ah._

Yeah… Daichi had worried about that too.

Volleyball was such a huge part of his teenage life. Now that it was over and he was gearing up for graduation… there was a piece of him that felt… missing.

Sugawara helped with that though.

In place of going to practice, they spent the time together. They held hands and talked about the future and researched colleges. They sat close together on the couch and watched movies. They experimented with being boyfriends in the form of figuring out how to walk together, holding hands or with arms around each other. Daichi liked to wrap his arm around Sugawara’s waist. He liked how soft and warm he felt against him. Sugawara liked to hold hands, fingers laced, even though it made their fingers ache after a while and they wound up just clasping palms instead.

They experimented with nicknames too, though that part was still a little embarrassing. Daichi had once tried calling Sugawara “_Babe_” and they both wound up rolling on the floor and groaning at the awkwardness of it. Sugawara had tried next to call Daichi “_Baby” _and proceeded to laugh until he cried. They eventually decided not to force it and that if they ever gave each other an endearment, it would just come naturally over time.

Daichi was okay with the slow pace at which their relationship was moving. Sure, he was interested in doing the other stuff. He thought about kissing Sugawara plenty. He thought about doing _other _things with him too. But he always kind of figured that it was something that would just… _happen_.

He didn’t realize that maybe he needed to actually take the initiative until his mom started pointing it out to him.

And sure, it kind of made sense. Especially since it _had _been months and Sugawara hadn’t made a move yet either.

He thought that maybe they were just so used to the _friendship _part of their relationship that they forgot that they actually had to put in a little effort to make the romantic stuff happen. At this point, it was more like they were just best friends who occasionally held hands and called each other their boyfriend.

They didn’t even go on dates yet. Not really.

Daichi blamed it on the fact that they were still in school, preparing for graduation and what happens after that, but maybe that wasn’t the case.

Maybe he just didn’t know how to go on dates.

On TV, it always seemed so grand and obvious. He was supposed to make a reservation at a fancy restaurant and get dressed up. He was supposed to buy a bouquet of flowers and pick Sugawara up at his house, commenting on how gorgeous he looked. He was supposed to be charming and romantic through dinner and then take him for a walk under the stars before kissing him in a gazebo or on a bridge or in the rain or…

That just didn’t sound like Daichi and Sugawara.

They knew each other too well to find something like that fun. What would they even talk about? The characters on TV usually talked about themselves, because at that point, they were practically strangers just trying to get to know one another.

But Daichi and Sugawara knew almost everything there was to know about each other. They talked _all the time_. Constantly through the day, if they weren’t together, they were texting. By the time they got to the restaurant, they would have been talked out. They wouldn’t have anything more to say for the night.

At that point, it would just be… dinner.

_Ahh…_

Dating was confusing.

But now that the thought had been planted in his head, he couldn’t get it out.

Because _yeah_, Daichi _wanted _to kiss Sugawara. He really, _really _wanted to kiss him.

He thought he was cute and funny and sexy. Sometimes he caught himself just staring at him when they were together. Sometimes he caught himself just thinking about him when they were apart.

And while he wasn’t going to let his mom pressure him into trying to catch up to where she had been at his age and jump right into having… _sex_… Daichi decided that he _would _find a way to kiss him before graduation.

The question was… _how_?

“You okay Daichi?”

Daichi met Asahi’s eyes where he sat across from him at the table in Daichi’s room. He wore a gentle and mildly worried expression, soft smile encouraging but brows knit.

Daichi glanced over his shoulder at the closed door and then faced him again.

“Have you ever kissed anyone before?” he asked.

Asahi blinked, cheeks beginning to fill with color. “Ki-kiss? Uhm… well… yes… I have…”

“How did it happen? Your first kiss?” Daichi pressed, leaning his elbows on the table.

“Uhm… it wasn’t anything special… in primary school, one of my classmates said she saw her parents kissing and wanted to try it, so we kissed on the playground.”

Daichi hummed, rolling his eraser in his fingers. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

Asahi’s eyes widened and he leaned forward. “Huh? What? But… you and Suga have been dating for like… months!”

“Yeah. But we haven’t kissed.”

Asahi’s mouth flapped and Daichi frowned.

It wasn’t _that _big of a shock, was it?

Wasn’t that too much of a reaction?

“I want to kiss him,” he said. “But I don’t know how to initiate.”

Asahi sat back against Daichi’s bed, looking as if he had been transported to an alternate universe.

“I… I’m so shocked,” he said.

Daichi’s scowl deepened.

“Has Suga kissed anyone before?” Asahi suddenly asked.

Daichi hesitated.

Had he?

Had Sugawara ever kissed someone? Daichi… didn’t know.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. He paused and met Asahi’s eyes again. “Ask him.”

“Ehh, why me?”

“Because. What if he told me before and I forgot? I don’t want to get in trouble.”

Asahi gave him a look, a rare look that told him he thought Daichi was being ridiculous.

“Just ask,” Daichi said. “Make it casual.”

Asahi sighed. “Okay…”

As he was answering, the door of the bedroom opened and Sugawara walked inside, humming. He joined them at the table and then sat on the floor where his textbook and notes were opened on the table in front of him.

“Okay,” he said. “I think I’m ready to be quizzed on math. Who wants to do it?” He lifted his flashcards and looked between them.

“I’ll do it,” Asahi offered. He took the notecards and slowly shuffled him. A thin sheen of sweat gathered on his forehead and _man _his anxiety was so tangible. Daichi suddenly felt guilty for putting him on the spot.

“So…” he cleared his throat. “Uhm, Suga... I was curious all of a sudden for no reason whatsoever…”

_Oh c’mon._

Daichi rubbed his temples.

“Have you ever kissed someone?” Asahi blurted out, eyes flickering into his face and then down to the flashcards.

Daichi watched Sugawara, heart in his throat.

A wild grin flashed across his face and he leaned forward.

“Oya oya? What’s this? Asahi has kissing questions? Why? Huh? Why? Are you thinking of kissing someone and need advice?”

Asahi’s face turned red. “No! I’m just… curious. That’s all. I’m only curious.”

“Sure you are. Who do you want to kiss? Is it Noya? You’re finally gonna make a move on Noya before graduation, aren’t you? Aren’t you, Asahi? It’s okay to admit it. We’re all friends here.”

Asahi gave Daichi a _“this is your fault_” stare and Daichi offered an apologetic smile.

Asahi cleared his throat and mumbled, “Maybe I am. So what? You just gonna tease me or are you gonna answer the question?”

Sugawara laughed and leaned over to punch his shoulder. “Attaboy! You go Asahi!” He giggled and folded his arms over the table. “But anyway, yeah, of course I’ve kissed before. Lots of times.”

_Oh._

So… Daichi was the only one who…

He gulped.

Even though it wasn’t really that big of a deal, Daichi’s stomach suddenly hurt.

_Suga’s kissed someone before._

_Lots of times, apparently._

“Oh. Uhm…” Asahi’s gaze flicked to Daichi’s but he looked down at his book, pretending not to care that much about the conversation. “Uh… who have you kissed?”

Daichi wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer to that question, but he supposed it might make him feel better if Sugawara’s previous kisses had all happened back in primary school, before they really meant anything.

Sugawara hummed and spun his pencil. “A couple of people in primary school…”

Daichi let out a breath of relief.

“Ah, and then a few in junior high.”

_Oh…_

“Aaaaand maybe also Ishikawa-kun and Kouta. Oh, and Takuya but that was a dare.”

Daichi felt sick.

Sugawara had kissed that many people? And so recently too? Kouta didn’t transfer to Karasuno until the beginning of their third year. Which meant that Sugawara had to have kissed him less than a year ago and oh.

Daichi didn’t feel good.

Asahi was floundering. “Oh! Wow… I never… I never knew… uhm… really? Even Kouta?”

“Yeah. We wound up on the wrong bus together one time and,” he shrugged, “stuff happened.”

“_Stuff_?” Asahi squeaked.

“Relax. Not _that _kind of stuff. We just made out a little bit.”

Okay, Daichi had heard enough. His jealousy was burning inside him now and he needed to excuse himself before he said something.

He rolled to his knees and then stood.

“Daichi?” Asahi said, anxious.

“I’ve gotta go to the bathroom,” he said, forcing his voice to be normal. Calm.

“Oh… alright…”

Daichi left the room as normally as possible. Once the door was closed behind him though, he turned and strode swiftly down the hall to the stairs, letting his face show his upset.

Sugawara had kissed people. A lot of people.

_Recently._

So why… why didn’t Sugawara kiss Daichi?

One of the main reasons why Daichi hadn’t kissed him himself was that he was inexperienced. He didn’t know how. He had never done it before and the fear of the unknown made him hesitate and hesitate and hesitate, always putting off for another time, when it would be more right, more perfect.

But Sugawara had kissed people. He was experienced, apparently, and shouldn’t be afraid or nervous to kiss Daichi, his _boyfriend of a few months_.

And yet he hadn’t.

_Why?_

Daichi felt sick.

* * *

For a short while, Daichi forced himself to put the dilemma of kissing his boyfriend on the backburner. With exams and graduation drawing near, he couldn’t afford to be distracted. And even if it didn’t feel like it, losing his lip virginity just wasn’t as important as his final high school grades.

He even managed to not think too hard about it for a week or so.

Until…

Daichi turned the corner of the hallway, eyes drifting up it and landing on Sugawara where he stood leaning against the wall next to Kouta, laughing.

Normally, Daichi wouldn’t even think twice about Sugawara talking to other guys. He was a friendly, well liked guy, after all. He had a lot of friends. But now that Daichi knew that he and _that guy in particular _had once “made out a little bit”… Daichi didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all.

Because Sugawara was cute and charming and if Kouta wanted to kiss him once, then he’d want to kiss him again and he was probably thinking about how much he wanted to kiss him at that very second and what if he made a move on him?

What would Sugawara do?

What would Daichi do?

Daichi would_ want_ to punch him in the face.

_That’s my boyfriend._

_He’s my boyfriend._

Even though they didn’t really do anything that boyfriends did…

Sugawara was Daichi’s boyfriend.

Wasn’t he?

Sugawara laughed again and the sound made Daichi’s chest hurt.

Because _ahh_… maybe Daichi was the only one who felt strongly about this relationship.

Maybe Sugawara was just humoring him.

Maybe Sugawara didn’t actually like Daichi that much.

Why else would he be an experienced kisser who showed no interest in kissing his boyfriend?

It was such a chicken shit thing to think out of nowhere, but it popped into his head and Daichi couldn’t shake it loose, no matter how hard he tried.

_Ahh…_ that sucked.

Daichi didn’t like that.

He didn’t like feeling like that one bit.

He needed to think.

At that moment, Sugawara looked up and met his eyes. A smile stretched his mouth wide and he lifted a hand in a wave.

“Daichi!”

Daichi turned and headed down the stairs.

He was going to graduate soon. Now was as good a time as ever to ditch class for the first time. He had always wanted to do more rebellious things growing up and this could very well be one of his last chances to do so.

Yeah, he should ditch class.

At least once.

He could do something rebellious _and _get some thinking time in.

Killing two birds with one stone.

Daichi liked the sound of that.

It was efficient.

It took him just a couple of minutes to leave the school and find a spot tucked away behind the club rooms to hide. He would go inside the volleyball club room and hide there, but he no longer had the key. It would probably make him sad anyway.

Instead, he sat on the ground with his back against the wall and settled in for the morning.

Shortly after, he realized how bad of a decision it had been to isolate himself.

Now he felt worse.

What if he was actually right and Sugawara didn’t like him the way that Daichi did? It had seemed impossible before. Sugawara had accepted his confession, after all. He had said yes when Daichi asked him to be his boyfriend. He didn’t protest when he held his hand or pulled him close with his hand on his hip.

But they were graduating soon, weren’t they? What if Sugawara was just playing his boyfriend for now, and would break up with him once they went off to college?

Daichi didn’t think Sugawara was that cruel, and he definitely didn’t think Daichi was so bad at reading people that he wouldn’t notice before now.

But what if?

“Ditching?”

Daichi stiffened at the sound of the voice. He glanced to his left, meeting Sugawara’s eyes where he peeked around the corner of the building.

He smiled. “Why, Daichi, I didn’t realize you were a _bad _boy…”

_Would you want to kiss me if I was?_

Daichi gulped and faced forward.

Sugawara was silent for a moment, and then his footsteps rounded the club building and approached. He sat next to him and flattened his legs out in front of him.

Neither of them spoke for long seconds and Daichi’s heart sank.

Awkward.

It had never been so awkward between them before.

“So…” Sugawara mumbled after a while. “Uhm… hey. Quick question.” He let out a breathy laugh. “And this probably sounds really stupid but uhm…” He hesitated. “Are you mad at me?”

_Ouch_.

Daichi looked at him. He didn’t like that. He didn’t like the soft, meek way that question had been asked.

“I only ask because…” Sugawara cleared his throat, staring at his thighs where he squeezed the fabric of his gakuran, tugging it idly. “I feel like you’ve been ignoring me a little bit. We don’t talk or hang out as much. So I thought maybe I did something wrong and you’re mad but I can’t think of what I’ve done and so… if you could just tell me… that’d be cool.”

If he could just tell him.

Yeah, Daichi supposed that was the most reasonable thing to do at this point, wasn’t it?

He straightened his legs out in front of him, matching Sugawara’s position.

“Why don’t you want to kiss me?” Daichi asked.

“What?”

Daichi drummed his fingers on his thighs. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal before. But then it was brought to my attention that most people who have been dating as long as we have would have already kissed plenty of times by now.” He leaned his head back against the wall. “But I’ve never kissed anybody before.”

“You… you haven’t?”

“I haven’t. And so I was nervous about doing it right. That’s why I haven’t kissed you yet. I thought I should wait and plan something so that it’s good and memorable. Because I really like you and I have for a long time. And I want to always do things right.” He released a breath through his nose. “I’m nervous. And I thought maybe you felt the same way. I thought maybe you were just as inexperienced as I was but apparently you’re _not _and so I’m confused. Since you’ve kissed people before, you shouldn’t be nervous about it like I am and yet you haven’t even tried to kiss me. So…” He gulped. “Why don’t you want to kiss me?”

Two fingers gripped Daichi’s triceps and twisted.

Pain shot through him and he jerked his arm away.

“_Ow Suga what the fuck_?”

“You’re a big stupid dumbass!” Sugawara pinched him again and punched his thigh. “You idiot!”

“Why—”

“I’m nervous too, Asshole!”

Daichi froze. He stared into Sugawara’s eyes, which shone with a layer of unshed tears.

“Huh?” he breathed, too stunned to form words.

“I’ve only ever kissed random people who I didn’t have feelings for!” Sugawara said, reaching up and rubbing at his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. “I’ve never had an actual boyfriend who I really liked. I was nervous about kissing you because you always seem so calm and controlled and I thought _what if I suck at it_?” His eyes widened. “What if I went to kiss you and you weren’t expecting it and we clacked teeth? What if I went to kiss you but my breath stunk and you think I’m gross? What if I went to kiss you but tripped at the last second and headbutted you in the mouth and knocked one of your teeth loose? You’ve already lost _one _this year, I don’t want to be the reason why you lose another!”

He looked away, cheeks bright red.

“Stupid. I’ve been so nervous all this time so I’ve been waiting for _you _to do it so that if it goes wrong, it won’t be my fault.”

Daichi gaped at him.

“Wha… how…” He rubbed his eyes and then dropped his hand. “Are you _serious_?”

“Yes!” Sugawara groaned and turned towards him. “Just do it!”

Daichi’s heart stuttered.

“Just kiss me already!”

Daichi hurriedly cupped his face in his hands and dragged him close. He desperately leaned in to press their lips together and…

Their teeth clacked.

“Ah!” Sugawara knotted his fingers in the front of his shirt. “Damn it Daichi you clumsy bastard! And after I warned you—”

Daichi tried again and this time, their lips melded together perfectly. Daichi’s heart leapt into a sprint and he squeezed his eyes shut tight, holding him closer.

Sugawara sank against him, arms circling his neck. They parted for air for a split second and then Sugawara kissed him again, tongue slipping inside his mouth. Daichi’s head went hazy and his hands quivered.

Sugawara breathed heavily as he broke off again and then hurriedly threw a leg over Daichi’s thighs. He sat in his lap, straddling his hips, and kissed him again, fingers tangling in his hair.

_Oh._

_Ohhhhh._

_Oh._

How could Daichi wait so long to do this? It was so… so good. He couldn’t believe he had been missing out on doing _this _for the past few months.

He hadn’t even done it more than a minute yet and he could already tell… he had found a new addiction.

_Bye volleyball._

_Hello Suga’s lips._

They kissed until they couldn’t breathe and then broke away to pant together in tandem. Sugawara rested his forehead on Daichi’s shoulder, entire body trembling on top of him, and Daichi held his hips in his hands, trying not to let them wander.

Eventually, Sugawara lifted his head again and met his eyes, expression embarrassed and flushed red.

“So…” he whispered. “How… how was it? Perfect enough for you?”

Daichi hesitated, then smiled.

“Your breath stinks.”

“I’ll kill you, Bastard.”

Daichi chuckled and kissed him again.

And _oh_…

He decided that his mom could call him a late bloomer all she wanted.

Blooming, even late, was a beautiful thing, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaahhh oh my gosh we MADE IT TO THE END  
CONGRATULATIONS EVERYBODY!  
This has been such a great DaiSuga week. Even though I procrastinated and had to hurry and write everything last minute (as usual okay let's not pretend this is anything new) I've had so much fun participating this year!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting! I love and appreciate you all so much!  
And also thank you to everyone who also participated! I can't wait to go and read all of the great fics that have come out this week! <3
> 
> Come yell at me on [Tumblr.](https://mooifyourecows.tumblr.com/)


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